The University of California is not just the best public university in the United States\u2014 it also leads the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the verdict of U.S. News & World Report\u2019s 2026\u201327 Best Global Universities ranking, released Tuesday, June 16. It places four UC campuses in the top 25 of the world\u2019s best 2,250 universities \u2014\u202fa feat no other university system around the world can match. It also lists eight UC campuses among the top 30 public institutions in the United States, with UC Berkeley and UCLA as No. 1 and No. 2.<\/p>\n
U.S. News 2026-27 Best Global Universities rankings by campus2026-27\u00a0U.S. News Best Global Universities rankings by campusCampusU.S. (public)U.S. (all)Global (all)UC Berkeley147UCLA2711UC San Francisco51422UC San Diego61523UC Davis163795UC Irvine183899UC Santa Barbara1939100UC Santa Cruz2648141UC Riverside4271262UC Merced100147739<\/p>\n
Why it matters<\/p>\n
The Best Global Universities ranking evaluates institutions worldwide based on academic research performance and international reputation. The United States has long been a leader in research. But other countries aren\u2019t just catching up, they\u2019re moving ahead<\/a>.<\/p>\n The new global rankings reflect this trend. China now has 409 ranked institutions compared to 397 last year, while the United States has 275.\u00a0<\/p>\n U.S. News 2026-27 Best Global Universities rankings by country2026-27\u00a0U.S. News Best Global Universities rankings by countryCountry2026\u201327 schools ranked2025\u201326 schools rankedChina409397United States275280India123118United Kingdom9393Japan86104<\/p>\n UC\u2019s role as a globally acknowledged research leader is key to American competitiveness and prosperity.<\/p>\n Research from the University of California is vital to work that benefits all Americans, from breakthroughs in the treatment of Parkinson\u2019s to the science behind previously unimagined successes in fighting cancer<\/a> and the development of quantum computers that will enable the critical advances of the 21st century.<\/p>\n In the past year and a half, UC and its campuses have faced a number of lawsuits, investigations and enforcement actions from the federal government, including attempts to cut or freeze hundreds of millions of dollars in medical and scientific research funding.<\/p>\n \u201cAmerican universities have led the world in countless fields. Other countries have long tried to emulate us, spending decades racing to catch up. It seems inconceivable that we would relinquish this leadership that\u2019s propelled our country,\u201d UC President James B. Milliken wrote in a recent op-ed in the Sacramento Bee<\/a>.<\/p>\n Speak up for continued federal investment in science,<\/a> and learn more about a proposed California research bond<\/a> that can help continue to support world-class UC researchers in their essential work.\u00a0<\/p>\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n \u201cA strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school\u2019s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence.\u201d \u2014 LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at\u202fU.S. News & World Report.<\/p>\n Dive deeper<\/p>\n Explore the Best Global Universities methodology here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n