How Southern California schools fared in US News and World Report rankings – Orange County Register

Colleges and universities in Southern California are among the top-ranked schools in the country.

In the latest U.S. News and World Report college rankings, half of the top 10 public universities are located in Southern California. U.S. News and World Report ranks each school based on graduation rates, peer reviews and faculty resources.

This year, some campuses achieved new milestones, such as achieving a top 10 ranking for their academic programs or maintaining high rankings year after year. Here's a look at how colleges and universities in Southern California have fared.

Cal Poly Pomona

Cal Poly Pomona ranked third among the best universities in the West and second among the best public universities in the West.

The university's undergraduate engineering courses in particular shone. They all finished in the top 10 in their respective categories, including civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering.

Cal State Fullerton

Cal State Fullerton ranked 69th among top public schools and 136th on the national list, which includes public and private schools that offer a variety of bachelor's, master's and even doctoral programs for some universities.

The school's academic programs are highlighted in the report, particularly its undergraduate engineering program. The Titans ranked No. 37, with its civil and computer engineering programs ranking in the top 10.

Cal State San Bernardino

Cal State San Bernardino was ranked No. 171 on the national university list. But it also narrowly cracked the top 100 public schools, ranking 92nd.

Coming in at 12th place, the university was also one of the top-performing schools in social mobility. This category honors universities that support disadvantaged students in their academic careers.

Caltech

With a graduation rate of 79%, Caltech ranked sixth in the national university rankings. Many of its academic programs – including engineering and computer science programs – ranked in the top 10.

Chapman University

In the national ranking, which includes public and private schools, the private university took 121st place. Its graduation rate is 71% and its business program is ranked 127th.

Claremont Colleges

Pomona College and Claremont McKenna College both ranked in the top 10 best national liberal arts colleges.

Pomona has a graduation rate of 71%, and Claremont McKenna has a slightly higher rate, 75%.

Long Beach State

The Sharks ranked 52nd among top public schools and 109th among national, public and private universities.

The school has a four-year graduation rate of 38%. The campus is a top contender in social mobility, ranking third. It also ranks 23rd for best undergraduate engineering programs.

UC Irvine

UC Irvine has been a top 10 public school for the past decade and is ranked No. 9 this year. It also ranked No. 9 overall in the Best Social Mobility category, which supports disadvantaged students in their studies.

Additionally, UCI has been ranked 33rd on the list of national universities for the past three years.

UC Riverside

With a four-year graduation rate of 65%, the university ranked 36th among the best public schools. There are currently around 22,646 students enrolled in courses on this campus.

The Highlanders stand out in a social mobility subcategory ranking. UC Riverside is committed to getting more students through graduation and ranks first in social mobility.

The school ranked 76th nationally.

UCLA

The school is in a period of success, remaining the No. 1 public school in the country for eight consecutive years.

UCLA also ranked fourth among best colleges for veterans. According to the university, there are 400 enrolled veterans and active military service members participating in the 2024-25 school year.

UCLA was ranked 15th on the national university list.

USC

Compared to its rival schools, USC's ranking has fluctuated in recent years. The university is currently ranked 27th among national universities. USC has a four-year graduation rate of 81%.

In other categories, USC ranked in the top 10 best colleges for veterans and business programs and ranked first in game/simulation development.