The University of California has been recognized as the leading public university system in the United States, according to the Forbes 2026 “America’s Top Colleges” rankings released on August 28. The new list places UC campuses in all three top spots among public universities nationwide.
Eight UC campuses are included among Forbes’ top 30 public universities, and six appear in the top 50 schools nationally when both public and private institutions are considered. The rankings place particular emphasis on return on investment, considering factors such as alumni salary, student debt, graduation rates, and academic performance.
According to Forbes’ data:
– UC Berkeley ranks first among public universities and fifth overall.
– UCLA is second among publics and fifteenth overall.
– UC San Diego holds third place for publics and twentieth overall.
Other UC campuses also rank highly: UC Irvine (6th public), UC Santa Barbara (12th), UC Davis (13th), UC Santa Cruz (22nd), UC Riverside (27th), and UC Merced (80th).
A recent poll from the nonpartisan Institute of Governmental Studies found that most Californians view the University of California positively. Seventy percent would recommend a close friend or relative enroll at a UC campus, while 76 percent of alumni believe attending was worth its cost.
Forbes editors noted, “As public universities brace for the impact of slashed research funding and future enrollment declines, they’re still doing the bulk of the work of educating America’s students, and doing it at a lower price than their private counterparts.” Citing data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, they pointed out that public schools educate more than twice as many students as private four-year colleges. The editors added that “the top 25 public schools, including eight UCs, ‘give private elites a run for their money,’” with UC Berkeley outranking Harvard, Yale and Penn.
Specific achievements highlighted by Forbes include:
– “UC Berkeley provides the highest median salary of the top 25 publics;”
– “UCLA received the most applications in the nation;”
– “UC Irvine and UC San Diego enroll the most Pell Grant recipients among the top 25, with 37 percent and 33 percent of undergraduates receiving these grants for lower-income students, respectively;”
– “UC Santa Barbara also enrolls a significant number of Pell Grant recipients, at 28 percent;”
– “UC Davis graduates students with a median of $11,000 in debt, the lowest of Forbes’ top 25 public colleges.”
The methodology behind Forbes’ ranking includes seven weighted factors: alumni salary (20%), student debt (15%), graduation rate (15%, including success rates for Pell Grant recipients), presence on prominent leadership lists like Forbes’ American Leaders List or major awards (15%), return on investment measured by price-to-earnings premium (15%), retention rate (10%), and academic success through scholarships or pursuit of Ph.D.s (10%).
These results align with other recent evaluations by Money Magazine, Princeton Review, and U.S. News & World Report regarding academic strength and value offered by University of California campuses.
The University continues to lead nationally in undergraduate education quality as well as graduate research output. It is recognized for having many influential scientists on faculty rosters. Assessments also indicate strong performance in promoting social mobility for students and preparing them for financial stability after graduation. More information about these outcomes can be found at https://universityofcalifornia.edu/.
Further details about individual campus rankings can be accessed through official announcements from [UC Berkeley](https://news.berkeley.edu/2024/08/28/uc-berkeley-is-the-no-1-public-and-no-5-overall-in-latest-forbes-rankings-of-undergraduate-colleges/), [UC Riverside](https://news.ucr.edu/articles/2024/08/28/uc-riverside-among-top-public-universities-forbes-list), and [UC San Diego](https://today.ucsd.edu/story/uc-san-diego-climbs-to-no.-20-in-nation-holds-no.-3-public-in-forbes-college-list).
