Stanislaus State, UC Merced rank high in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Colleges

Taylor Johnson
·2 min read

California State University, Stanislaus, has made the top 10 in four categories in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Colleges rankings.

Stanislaus State ranked 10th in regional universities on the West Coast, fourth in top public schools, sixth in top schools for veterans and third for social mobility for regional universities in the West. The Turlock school, which also has a Stockton campus, has risen in the ranks of these categories from the previous report.

“This distinction not only underscores our commitment to academic excellence and student success but also highlights the pivotal role we play as a regional comprehensive university in sculpting the educational landscape,” Interim President Susan E. Borrego said in a news release. “Stan State is proud to contribute to a legacy of transformation and the promise of a brighter tomorrow for our students, their families and communities.”

UC Merced ranked 60th among U.S. public institutions, rising 28 places from last year. The university tied for fourth with California State University, San Bernardino, in top performers on social mobility for national universities. The university was also named 62nd in the country for best undergraduate teaching.

“Student success is our North Star, and it is rewarding that national organizations increasingly recognize this commitment,” UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said in a news release. “What has been built here, in the heart of California, is a testament to the faculty and staff, both past and present, who have worked tirelessly in their shared pursuit of student success.”

All nine University of California undergraduate campuses landed in the Top 100:

  • 15th (tied) - UC Berkeley and UCLA

  • 28th (tied) - UC Davis and UC San Diego

  • 33rd - UC Irvine

  • 35th - UC Santa Barbara

  • 60th - UC Merced

  • 76th - UC Riverside

  • 82th - UC Santa Cruz

U.S. News’ annual ranking comes less than a week after CSU leaders voted to increase tuition. The cost of attending college will increase by 6% annually over the next five years, starting next year.

According to a news release, the U.S. News & World Report looked at diverse enrollment and graduate rates, social mobility, student debt and post-college success of more than 1,000 colleges.

This year’s ranking did not compare classroom size, facility education, alumni donations, high school rankings or the number of graduates using federal loans.

Sacramento Bee reporter Brianna Taylor contributed to this report.