Six University of California campuses are among the top 10 public universities in America, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best Colleges rankings, released today (Sept. 12). For the third straight year in a row, the magazine also placed all nine of UC’s undergraduate campuses on its coveted list of the top 100 public and private universities across the country.
According to U.S. News, UC Berkeley and UCLA tied as America’s No. 1 public universities. UC Santa Barbara is ranked at No. 7, while UC Irvine moved up one spot on this year’s list to tie with UC San Diego, both at No. 8. UC Davis landed in the top 10 at No. 10.
Every single UC undergraduate campus was ranked among the top 100 public and private universities by the magazine, with the University’s youngest campus, UC Merced (No. 97) joining its peer schools for the third year in a row. UC Berkeley and UCLA tied at No. 20, while UC Santa Barbara (No. 32), UC Irvine and UC San Diego (tied for No. 34), UC Davis (No. 38), UC Santa Cruz (No. 83) and UC Riverside (No. 89), were all in the top 100. This edition of the rankings, its 38th, assessed an all-time high of 1,500 U.S. bachelor's degree-granting institutions on 17 measures of academic quality. These measures include graduation and retention rates, financial resources, and social mobility, comprised of Pell Grant graduation rates, student-faculty ratio, faculty resources and academic reputation.
“The University of California continues to maintain our record of leadership in higher education. These rankings demonstrate the value and impact of our world-renowned excellence in teaching, research, and our demonstrated commitment to inclusiveness,” said UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D. “I applaud all of our campuses for their outstanding work in maintaining the University’s long-standing tradition of excellence and for continuing to ensure access to an affordable education for all students.”
Eight UC undergraduate campuses claimed spots in the top 100 for social mobility among public and private universities nationwide. The top 20 include five UC campuses: UC Riverside (No. 2), UC Merced (No. 5), UC Irvine (No. 7), UC Santa Barbara (No. 15), and UC Santa Cruz (No. 18). U.S. News measures social mobility as a school’s ability to graduate Pell Grant recipients, typically students from families who earn less than $50,000.
Six UC campuses also scored in the top 20 of the Best Colleges for Veterans category. UC Berkeley and UCLA tied at No. 7 on the magazine’s list followed by UC Santa Barbara at No. 14. UC Irvine and UC San Diego also tied (No. 15) and UC Davis ranked No. 18. For this category, U.S. News assesses a campus’s G.I. Bill certification, 2023 Best Colleges ranking, and enrollment of full- and part-time undergraduate veterans and undergraduate active service members.
U.S. News & World Report releases its annual Best Colleges rankings each fall to evaluate bachelor’s degree-granting colleges and universities across the United States.
For more information about UC’s rankings, please visit here.