As per latest US News ranking UC Merced is now #10 in California .
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/ca?_sort=rank&_sortDirection=asc&_mode=table
The #10 National University in CA.
Notable omissions, which are Regional universities, Cal SLO, Cal Poly Pomona and SJSU.
I wonder why CSULB and SDSU were included but not the ones you mentioned? Surely SLO would be ranked higher? Maybe because it’s a poly tech, but that doesn’t explain SJSU which I think would be higher than CSULB
Cal Poly for sure will come above UCM. I have no idea why they do not get included
I’m glad for UC Merced - I hope that campus starts getting more love.
I thought Cal Poly SLO was not included in lists like this because it does not have doctoral degree programs. But then I looked at SJSU and it has doctoral degree programs… so I am not sure what criteria they use.
US News treats what they perceive as “Regional” universities differently, which is a real shame. There’s honestly no difference for most of them.
I have kids at Caltech and Xal Poly and I can tell you both are amazing schools. Cal poly is the best school for academics AND affordability.
I’m surprised it’s not on this list. It is probably just behind the top 3 UCs.
It is not obvious why some CSUs are considered by USNWR as “National Universities” and some are not. Those which are include CSULB, SDSU, CSU Fullerton, CSUSB, CSU Fresno, SFSU, CSUEB.
USNWR lists the following as “Regional Colleges/Universities West”: CPSLO, CSU Maritime Academy, CPP, SJSU, CSUMB, CSULA, CSUN, CSUC, CSUCI, CSUSM, SSU, CSU Sacramento, CSUB, CP Humboldt, CSUDH.
Wall Street Journal has it as #18 on their **THE 2025 BEST COLLEGES IN AMERICA”
If you don’t have a subscription to WSJ, yahoo posted it as well here:
Thoughts?
Here are the most important criteria used in The Wall Street Journal college rankings.
| Student Outcomes (70%) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Salary Impact | 33% | Measures how much a college boosts graduates’ salaries beyond expected levels. |
| Years to Pay Off Net Price | 17% | Combines average net price with value added to graduates’ median salary to estimate how long it takes to pay off education costs. |
| Graduation Rate Impact | 20% | Assesses the college’s success in graduating students compared to expectations based on student demographics. |
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