U.S. News and World Report has released its annual Best Colleges Report, and one Valley university continues to climb the national rankings.
The U.S. News and World Report rankings evaluate nearly 1,500 national colleges and universities on 17 measures of academic quality.
UC Merced has placed No. 58 on the list among all universities nationally, rising from No. 60 last year. UC Merced was also the only San Joaquin Valley university to crack the top 60 in that category.
Additionally, UC Merced placed No. 26 among public universities and No. 145 for best value.
Princeton University placed first on the list for best universities nationally, and Stanford University ranked No. 4 – the highest placing California university on the national list.
“Once again, UC Merced is being recognized as a leader in charting its own path — buoyed by a quest for knowledge and innovation that are hallmarks of the UC system as well as its mission of facilitating access and opportunity for historically underserved populations,” UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said in a news release.
Notable achievements among Valley universities
UC Merced wasn’t the only San Joaquin Valley university to score high on the report.
Stanislaus State placed No. 5 in the category of Top Public Schools in the West, tying with California State University Monterey Bay. Stanlslaus State also placed No. 13 in the Best Value catergory and No. 10 among Regional Universities West.
“We are incredibly honored by U.S. World News & Report’s latest rankings as they truly capture the heart of what we do at Stanislaus State,” Britt Rios-Ellis, Stanislaus State president, said in a news release.
“It’s inspiring to see our commitment to academic excellence and student success as a Hispanic- and Minority-Serving Institution being recognized on this level.
University of the Pacific in Stockton placed No. 136 among Best Universities nationally and No. 44 for Best Value.
Fresno State placed No. 31 on the report in the category of social mobility, No. 44 among schools for best undergraduate engineering programs, No. 97 among Top Public Schools in the West, and No. 179 among Best Universities nationally.
California State University Bakersfield placed No. 16 among Top Public Schools in the West, No. 30 among Regional Universities in the West and No. 78 among Best Undergraduate Engineering programs.