Forbes recently released its America’s Top Colleges 2027 rankings, and three California schools landed in the top 10.
Stanford University, the California Institute of Technology and the University of California, Berkeley made the annual list alongside 497 other institutions that Forbes said “produce the best academic and career outcomes for students from all economic backgrounds.”
To determine its 2027 rankings, Forbes said it evaluated about 1,600 four-year colleges and universities and based the rankings on student outcomes rather than institutional reputation
“How successful are its students academically and in their careers? How much student debt do they carry after graduation? How many go on to become leaders as measured by Forbes’ lists and other honors? In other words, what sort of return do students get from their investment of time and money?” the publication said.
Here’s what to know about the rankings, including the three California schools that made the top 10 and the other Golden State colleges that earned a spot on the list.
3 California colleges land in top 10 of Forbes’ rankingsNo. 6: Stanford University
Hoover Tower of Stanford University as seen during blue hour after sunset. HDR encoded
Stanford University ranked as No. 6 on Forbes’ report.
“Located in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, Stanford University is recognized globally for its strengths in science, engineering and entrepreneurship. Its seven schools span fields from law and business to medicine and the humanities,” Forbes said. “The university has produced numerous Nobel laureates, including Carl Wieman, Paul Milgrom and Roger Kornberg, who continues to teach at Stanford’s School of Medicine.”
At the private university, students receive an average of $62,755 in grant aid and graduate with an average debt of $11,418, according to the publication. The median annual salary for graduates after 10 years is $126,916.
No. 7: California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology ranked as No. 7 on Forbes’ report.
“(The) private research university in Pasadena, California, at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains,” the publication said. “Renowned for its science and engineering programs, Caltech manages NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which designs and operates many of the nation’s robotic missions exploring the solar system. Undergraduate students interested in innovation and entrepreneurship can develop startup ideas through programs such as the Bill Gross Business Plan Competition and the Timothy D. Ryan Summer Entrepreneurship Program.”
Students have an average grant aid of $72,373 and average debt of $11,846, according to Forbes. The median 10-year salary for Caltech graduates is $117,278.
No. 9: University of California, Berkeley
UC Berkeley in California
The University of California, Berkeley ranked as No. 9 on Forbes’ report.
“UC Berkeley is a public research university in the San Francisco Bay Area known for groundbreaking scholarship and a long tradition of public engagement. Undergraduates can work alongside faculty through programs such as the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program, with research opportunities spanning the sciences, engineering, humanities and social sciences,” the publication said. “Not only is UC Berkeley the all-time top producer of Peace Corps volunteers among American colleges and universities, but it boasts a long legacy of Nobel Prize–winning alumni and faculty.”
UC Berkeley students have an average grant aid of $29,608 and average debt of $5,924. Cal graduates earn a median salary of $111,530 a decade after graduation.
Other California colleges included in Forbes’ rankings
Here are the additional schools that made Forbes’ rankings:
No. 22: University of California, San Diego
No. 26: University of Southern California
No. 25: Claremont McKenna College
No. 36: University of California, Davis
No. 37: University of California, Irvine
No. 39: University of California, Santa Barbara
No. 66: Harvey Mudd College
No. 71: University of San Diego
No. 80: University of California, Santa Cruz
No. 90: Santa Clara University
No. 94: San Diego State University
No. 97: University of California, Riverside
No. 104: California State Polytechnic University
No. 127: Pepperdine University
No. 137: California State University, Long Beach
No. 140: San Francisco State University
No. 142: Loyola Marymount University
No. 153: California State University, Fresno
No. 171: California State University, Sacramento
No. 179: Occidental College
No. 198: University of San Francisco
No. 205: California State University, Fullerton
No. 209: Saint Mary’s College of California
No. 211: University of California, Merced
No. 213: University of the Pacific
No. 215: California State University, Los Angeles
No. 251: California State University, Chico
No. 265: California State University, Northridge
No. 273: California State University, East Bay
No. 275: University of Redlands
No. 286: California State University, Stanislaus
No. 315: Sonoma State University
No. 317: California State University, San Bernardino
No. 323: California State University, Bakersfield
No. 336: California Lutheran University
No. 343: Chapman University
No. 347: Westmont College
No. 360: Soka University of America
No. 404: California State University San Marcos
No. 408: Azusa Pacific University
No. 414: California State University, Monterey Bay
No. 417: The ArtCenter College of Design
No. 428: California State University, Channel Islands
No. 468: California State University, Dominguez Hills
No. 471: Dominican University of California
No. 496: Biola University
No. 499: La Sierra University
Top 10 colleges in America, according to Forbes
Here are the top 10 colleges in the nation, according to Forbes’ rankings:
No. 1: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts
No. 2: Princeton University, New Jersey
No. 3: Harvard University, Massachusetts
No. 4: Columbia University, New York
No. 5: University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania
No. 6: Stanford University, California
No. 7: California Institute of Technology, California
No. 8: Yale University, Connecticut
No. 9: University of California, Berkeley, California
No. 10: Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
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This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 3 California schools crack Forbes’ top 10 colleges list. What to know