{"id":471583,"date":"2026-09-22T04:48:07","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T04:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/471583\/"},"modified":"2026-09-22T04:48:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T04:48:07","slug":"the-university-of-california-is-the-best-public-university-twice-in-the-2027-u-s-news-world-report-best-colleges-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/471583\/","title":{"rendered":"The University of California is the best public university (twice!) in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings"},"content":{"rendered":"

UC Berkeley and UCLA are tied for America\u2019s No.1 public university<\/a> in the new 2027 Best Colleges<\/a> rankings, released today (Sept. 21) by U.S. News & World Report.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s more good news: Five UC campuses rank among the top 10 public universities in the country \u2014 a full half \u2014 while each undergraduate UC campus is among the top 50.<\/p>\n

All nine University of California undergraduate campuses additionally feature among the best 125 of all universities, public or private, nationwide<\/a>, with UC Berkeley and UCLA leading the way. More than 1,700 four-year bachelor\u2019s degree-granting institutions were included in this year\u2019s Best Colleges edition by U.S. News.<\/p>\n

UC campuses also top U.S. News\u2019 social mobility ranking, which evaluates how well universities help lower-income students earn degrees that propel them to financially successful futures. UC Riverside was ranked No. 1, UC Merced was fourth, and all nine of UC\u2019s undergraduate campuses ranked highly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe U.S. News Best Colleges rankings once again show why UC is the leading university in the world,\u201d said UC President James B. Milliken. \u201cEvery one of our undergraduate institutions is in the top 50 public universities nationwide, including two \u2014 UC Berkeley and UCLA \u2014 tied for No.1. We\u2019re especially proud that all of our campuses are top performers in the rankings for social mobility, with UC Riverside leading the nation. That is UC\u2019s mission in action.\u201d<\/p>\n

U.S. News 2027 Best Colleges rankings by campus2027\u00a0U.S. News Best Colleges rankings by campusCampusPublicNationalUC Berkeley120UCLA120UC San Diego629UC Davis834UC Irvine834UC Santa Barbara1444UC Merced3069UC Riverside3780UC Santa Cruz50109A tie at the top<\/p>\n

Sather Gate at UC Berkeley, (also) ranked No. 1 among public schools in the 2027 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking. Credit: Elena Zhukova\/University of California<\/p>\n

UC Berkeley and UCLA have gone back-and-forth on a No. 1 ranking as best public school in U.S. News\u2019 Best Colleges over the past few years. This year, the magazine ranked them both in a tie for America\u2019s best public university. A UC campus has been No. 1 on U.S. News\u2019 Best Colleges rankings of public schools every year since its 1999 edition.<\/p>\n

\u201cRankings are gratifying, but what makes UCLA exceptional is the extraordinary community behind them,\u201d Chancellor Julio Frenk said. \u201cOur students, faculty, staff and alumni demonstrate each day that academic excellence and public purpose strengthen one another. To stand atop the list of the nation\u2019s public universities is an honor, and it reinforces our responsibility to continue expanding opportunity, advancing knowledge and serving society.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis continued recognition reflects the extraordinary work being done every day across our campus by our students, faculty, staff and alumni,\u201d said Chancellor Rich Lyons. \u201cWith this community, Berkeley is more than a place \u2014 it\u2019s a promise. A promise to prepare the next generation of leaders, advance life-changing discoveries and deliver on our commitment to the greater good.\u201d<\/p>\n

UC Davis and UC Irvine are also tied in the top 10 as well, for No. 8. UC\u2019s performance across the public university rankings is an indication of the depth and breadth of the 10-campus system\u2019s excellence and ability to transform lives.<\/p>\n

No. 1 for changing lives<\/p>\n

UC Riverside was once again the top performer on social mobility according to U.S. News. The campus has been ranked No. 1 for six of the eight years the list has been in existence.<\/p>\n

UC is also No. 1 among Top Performers on Social Mobility<\/a>, a metric that evaluates the ability of an institution \u2014 public or private \u2014 to enroll and graduate students awarded Pell Grants. A federal award based on need, Pell Grants can be a crucial support for economically disadvantaged students.<\/p>\n

U.S. News 2027 Top Performers on Social Mobility rankings by campus2027\u00a0U.S. News Best Colleges Top Performers on Social Mobility rankings by campusCampusNationalUC Riverside1UC Merced4UC Irvine11UCLA31UC San Diego31UC Santa Barbara31UC Davis37UC Santa Cruz68UC Berkeley81<\/p>\n

This is the eighth year that U.S. News has featured a breakout category for social mobility. UC Riverside has been ranked No. 1 for six of those eight years; it was No. 2 the other two years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAt UC Riverside, academic excellence and access go hand in hand,\u201d said UC Riverside Chancellor S. Jack Hu. \u201cWe are committed to opening doors to a world-class education and giving students the support they need to make the most of that opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

UC Merced once again ranked in the top 5 of schools that provide the most social mobility to students, along with being in the top 30 among all public schools \u2014 despite entering just its third decade, having welcomed its first incoming class in 2005.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRankings are meaningful when they reflect the outcomes and opportunities we create for our students,\u201d Chancellor Juan S\u00e1nchez Mu\u00f1oz said. \u201cAt UC Merced, we are deeply committed to providing an exceptional education that is accessible to students from across California and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

Providing opportunities for veterans<\/p>\n

Hope Medina, director of transfer and veteran services with the UC Davis Veterans Success Center, ties ribbons with Dean Bunn, an application developer with the College of Engineering. Credit: Gregory Urquiaga\/UC Davis<\/p>\n

UC Berkeley and UCLA weren\u2019t just tied for the top public university \u2014 they are also tied at No. 6 for the Best Colleges for Veterans<\/a> ranking, which includes public and private schools. Other UCs in the top 25 for serving veterans include UC San Diego, UC Davis, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara.<\/p>\n

U.S. News 2027 Best Colleges for Veterans rankings by campus2027\u00a0U.S. News Best Colleges for Veterans rankings by campusCampusNationalUC Berkeley6UCLA6UC San Diego14UC Davis16UC Irvine16UC Santa Barbara22UC Merced40UC Riverside48UC Santa Cruz72More than bragging rights<\/p>\n

The recognition of the University of California as the nation\u2019s best public university has been echoed by recent rankings from Forbes<\/a>, Money<\/a> and Pitchbook<\/a>. It is also echoed by fresh internal data on the value of a UC degree.<\/p>\n

Right out of the gate, UC bachelor\u2019s degree-holders in California earn more than those who only complete high school. They also out-earn the median earnings for bachelor\u2019s degree-holders in the state. UC alumni continue to out-earn those groups year over year, by bigger and bigger margins.<\/p>\n

Sources: UC undergraduate alumni data for calendar year 2024 from California Employment Development Department; California median income data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates Public Use Microdata Sample 2024<\/p>\n

The majority of UC undergrads also finish their degrees with zero debt. Sixty-three percent of California resident students graduate with no student loans at all. UC in-state graduates who do need to take out student loans graduate with significantly less debt than their peers at other schools.\u00a0<\/p>\n

UC President Milliken recently shared this data and UC\u2019s commitment to expanding accessibility and affordability for California students.<\/p>\n

About U.S. News methodology:<\/p>\n

Since 1983, U.S. News has published the Best Colleges rankings each year to provide prospective students and their families with the comparative merits of the undergraduate programs at America\u2019s colleges and universities.<\/p>\n

Best Colleges: The 2027 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings emphasize student outcomes, academic resources and expert opinion, with factors including graduation rate (21%), performance against expected graduation rate (10%), and first-year student retention (5%). A new factor this year, earnings-by-major, has replaced graduate indebtedness. Read more about the methodology for this year\u2019s rankings here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Top Performers on Social Mobility: This ranking measures a school\u2019s performance at promoting social mobility on two Pell Grant indicators \u2014 graduation rates of those receiving Pell Grants, and how that graduation rate compares to those of other students at the school. Pell Grants are a key indicator of socioeconomic status, and economically disadvantaged students are less likely than others to finish college, even when controlling for their achievement in high school. Read more about the methodology for this year\u2019s rankings here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Best Colleges for Veterans: To be eligible to be ranked, the institution must have enrolled a minimum of 20 full-time and part-time undergraduate veterans and active-duty service members in the 2025-2026 academic year, as reported to U.S. News, be eligible for the GI Bill, and participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program or be a public school. Read more about the methodology for this year\u2019s rankings here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"UC Berkeley and UCLA are tied for America\u2019s No.1 public university in the new 2027 Best Colleges rankings,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":471584,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8],"class_list":["post-471583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=471583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471583\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/471584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=471583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=471583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=471583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}