UCLA and UC Berkeley are the nation’s top public universities, with seven UC campuses ranked in the top 30 and all nine in the top 45, according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges for 2024-25 rankings released today.
The University of California’s nine undergraduate campuses were ranked among the top 85 public and private universities nationwide among nearly 1,500 four-year bachelor’s degree-granting institutions evaluated by U.S. News.
US News 2024-25 Best College Rankings by Campus
2024-25 US News Best College Rankings by Campus Campus Public All Universities UCLA 1 15 UC Berkeley 2 17 UC San Diego 6 29 UC Davis 9 33 UC Irvine 9 33 UC Santa Barbara 13 39 UC Merced 26 58 UC Riverside 36 76 UC Santa Cruz 42 84
This marks the fifth consecutive year that all nine University of California undergraduate campuses have been ranked among the top 100 universities in the nation, with UCLA and UC Berkeley leading the way. UCLA has held the top spot among public universities in the country in the Best Colleges rankings for eight consecutive years (often tying with UC Berkeley).
“This achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, perseverance and ingenuity of UCLA students, faculty, staff and alumni,” said UCLA Interim Chancellor Darnell Hunt. “With an unwavering commitment to inclusive excellence, UCLA continues to redefine what it means to be a great public institution.”
As the newest campus in the University of California system, UC Merced has continued to climb the rankings quickly, jumping two spots to 26th in the public rankings and 58th among universities nationwide. Founded in 2005, UC Merced is younger than many of its peers.
In addition to excelling in the general and overall rankings, UC also received high recognition as a top performer in the Social Mobility rankings, which reflect the extent to which universities help low-income students earn degrees that lead to economically prosperous futures.
On this criterion, UC Riverside ranked first in the nation. A total of eight University of California campuses ranked in the top 30, including UC Merced at third, UC Irvine at ninth, UC Santa Barbara at 20th, UC Santa Cruz at 22nd, UC Davis at 26th, and UC Los Angeles and UC San Diego tied for 28th. UC Berkeley ranked 70th out of 433 public and private schools included on the list.
The UCs also performed very well on the Best Colleges for Veterans list, with UCLA at No. 4 (Top Public Universities for Veterans), UC Berkeley at No. 5, UC San Diego at No. 12, UC Davis and UC Irvine tied for No. 16, and UC Santa Barbara at No. 20. UC Riverside was No. 45 and UC Santa Cruz was No. 52.
Now in its 40th year, the US News Best Colleges rankings are published annually to provide prospective students and their families with a comparative view of undergraduate programs at American universities. Last year, US News updated its methodology for the overall rankings to place more emphasis on indicators such as social mobility, graduation rates, manageable debt and post-graduation success. More than half of the school rankings now consist of a range of outcome measures related to the school’s success in enrolling, retaining and graduating students from diverse backgrounds, manageable debt and post-graduation success. Other factors include peer evaluations, financial resources per student, and faculty salaries and citations. (Learn more about the Best Colleges methodology here.)
Across many ranking methods, the UC system maintains its reputation for world-class excellence and student opportunity and affordability.
Recently, UC was ranked by Forbes and The Wall Street Journal as America’s best university system and the university that prepares students for future economic success. For more information and to apply, visit admission.universityofcalifornia.edu. Applications for the fall 2025 semester close on December 2, 2025. This year, UC admitted its largest and most diverse class in its history.