105 CA Schools Named Among 2021’s Best Colleges: U.S. News List
CALIFORNIA — As students and colleges across the nation grapple with the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, U.S. News & World Report on Monday remained steadfast with the release of its 2021 edition of Best U.S. Colleges, a list that includes more than 100 schools in California.
Despite how the pandemic has forced current and potential students to alter college plans, U.S. News said in a news release that it must “continue providing students and their families with the tools they need to help find the right school for them.”
To rank colleges, U.S. News first placed each school into a category based on its mission and, in some cases, its geographical location in the United States. U.S. News then evaluated more than 1,400 colleges and universities on 17 indicators of academic quality. The colleges are ranked based on their overall scores.
The data used for this year’s rankings was gathered in spring and early summer 2020; however, the publication noted that the pandemic did not affect the numbers.
This year’s edition also includes several methodology updates. The new measures look at timely topics such as student debt, social mobility and test-blind admissions policies. U.S. News also added new weights and indicators to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and added a new ranking for computer science programs.
See more detailed methodologies and frequently asked questions about the rankings.
In total, 105* California colleges and universities were included in this year’s rankings, across different categories. Last year, 110 Golden State schools were on the list.
Below is a sampling of the several of the top ranked schools for 2021.
National Universities
Stanford University, Stanford. Ranked 6th.
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Ranked 9th.
University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles. Ranked 20th.
University of California—Berkeley, Berkeley. Ranked 22nd.
University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Ranked 24th.
University of California—Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara. Ranked 30th.
University of California—Irvine, Irvine. Ranked 35th. (tie)
University of California—San Diego, La Jolla. Ranked 35th. (tie)
University of California—Davis, Davis. Ranked 39th.
Pepperdine University—Malibu. Ranked 49th.
National Liberal Arts Colleges
Pomona College, Claremont. Ranked 4th.
Claremont McKenna College, Claremont. Ranked 6th.
Harvey Mudd College, Claremont. Ranked 25th.
Scripps College, Claremont. Ranked 28th. (tie)
Soka University of America, Aliso Viejo. Ranked 28th. (tie)
Pitzer College, Claremont. Ranked 36th.
Occidental College, Los Angeles, Ranked 40th. (tie)
Thomas Aquinas College, Santa Paula, Ranked 40th. (tie)
Regional Universities
California State University—Maritime Academy, Vallejo. Ranked 2nd. (tie)
William Jessup University, Rocklin. Ranked 2nd. (tie)
San Diego Christian College, Santee. Ranked 18th.
Life Pacific College, San Dimas. Ranked 22nd.
Regional Colleges
California Polytechnic State University—San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo. Ranked 3rd.
University of Redlands, Redlands. Ranked 5th.
St. Mary's College of California, Moraga. Ranked 6th.
California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks. Ranked 10th.
Mills College, Oakland. Ranked 12th.
Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego. Ranked 13th.
California State University—Long Beach, Long Beach. Ranked 14th.
California State University—Fullerton, Fullerton. Ranked 16th. (tie)
Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles. Ranked 16th. (tie)
San Jose State University, San Jose. Ranked 22nd.
Dominican University of California, San Rafael. Ranked 24th.
California State University—Monterey Bay, Seaside. Ranked 25th.
California State University—Chico, Chico. Ranked 26th (tie)
California State University—Los Angeles, Los Angeles. Ranked 26th (tie)
California State University—Stanislaus, Turlock. Ranked 29th. (tie)
San Francisco State University, San Francisco. Ranked 29th. (tie)
Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park. Ranked 33rd.
Fresno Pacific University, Fresno. Ranked 37th. (tie)
Humboldt State University, Arcata. Ranked 37th. (tie)
California Baptist University, Riverside. Ranked 40th. (tie)
California State University—Northridge, Northridge. Ranked 40th. (tie)
California State University—San Bernardino, San Bernardino. Ranked 40th. (tie)
California State University—Channel Islands, Camarillo. Ranked 43rd. (tie)
California State University—Sacramento, Sacramento. Ranked 43rd. (tie)
Concordia University (CA), Irvine. Ranked 49th.
Woodbury University, Burbank. Ranked 50th..
Princeton University is once again No. 1 among National Universities, and Williams College remains in the top spot among National Liberal Arts Colleges.
For Top Public Schools, the University of California - Los Angeles is No. 1 among National Universities. The United States Naval Academy ranks No. 1 for Top Public Schools among National Liberal Arts Colleges.
See all of 2021’s Best U.S. Colleges by U.S. News & World Report.
— Written by Patch editor Medan VerHelst with additional reporting by Bea Karnes
*Editor's Note: A previous version of this story indicated 110 schools were named this year, rather than in 2020. The headline has been updated to reflect that 105 schools are on the list for 2021.
This article originally appeared on the Across California Patch
