"Best of" Rankings

California State University campuses consistently earn high marks for academic excellence, value, sustainability, social mobility and more. This recognition reflects the CSU's unwavering commitment to creating student success, to recruiting and supporting a world-class faculty, and to fulfilling its role as a national leader in higher education.

U.S. News & World Report 2021 College Rankings

Regional Colleges West

#2	Maritime Academy

Regional Colleges West – Top Public Schools

#2	Maritime Academy

National Universities – Top Public Colleges

#65	San Diego State
#100	Fresno State

National Universities

#143	San Diego State
#196	Fresno State

National Universities – Social Mobility

#26	Fresno State
#59	San Diego State

Regional Colleges West – Top Performers of Social Mobility

#24

Maritime Academy

Regional Universities West

#3	Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
#10	Cal Poly Pomona
#14	Cal State Long Beach
#16	Cal State Fullerton
#22	San José State
#25	CSU Monterey Bay
#26	Chico State
#26	Cal State LA
#29	San Francisco State
#29	Stanislaus State
#33	Sonoma State
#37	Humboldt State
#40	CSUN
#40	Cal State San Bernardino
#43	CSU Channel Islands
#43	Sacramento State
#52	CSU Bakersfield
#58	CSU Dominguez Hills
#60	CSU San Marcos
#80	Cal State East Bay

Regional Universities West – Top Public Schools

#1	Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
#2	Cal Poly Pomona
#3	Cal State Long Beach
#4	Cal State Fullerton
#7	San José State
#8	CSU Monterey Bay
#9	Chico State
#9	Cal State LA
#11	Stanislaus State
#11	San Francisco State
#14	Sonoma State
#17	Humboldt State
#18	CSUN
#18	Cal State San Bernardino
#20	CSU Channel Islands
#20	Sacramento State
#24	CSU Bakersfield
#26	CSU Dominguez Hills
#28	CSU San Marcos
#39	Cal State East Bay
	(Out of 66)

Regional Universities West – Social Mobility

#2	Cal State Long Beach
#3	San José State
#5	Cal PolyPomona
#5	CSU Monterey Bay
#7	Stanislaus State
#9	Cal State Fullerton
#11	Cal State San Bernardino
#12	San Francisco State
#13	Cal State LA
#13	CSU San Marcos
#17	CSU Dominguez Hills
#19	Sacramento State
#21	CSU Channel Islands
#21	CSUN
#28	Cal State East Bay
#31	CSU Bakersfield
#34	Humboldt State
#41	Chico State
#48	Sonoma State
#96	Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
	(Out of 124)

Regional Universities West – Best Value

#11	Cal State LA
#21	Cal State San Bernardino
#33	Humboldt State
#38	Cal Poly Pomona
#39	Stanislaus State
#40	Cal State Fullerton
#42	San José State
#44	CSU Dominguez Hills

Money Magazine 2020

Best Public Colleges

#7	Cal Poly Pomona
#15	San José State
#17	Cal State Long Beach
#22	Cal State Fullerton
#29	CSUN
#31	Cal State LA
#33	Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
#34	Chico State
#35	Stanislaus State
#40	Fresno State
#42	Cal State East Bay
#46	Sacramento State
#49	CSU Dominguez Hills

Most Transformative Colleges

#1	San José State
#5	Stanislaus State
#6	CSUN
#7	Fresno State
#9	Sacramento State
#10	Cal Poly Pomona
#11	Cal State Long Beach
#13	Cal State Fullerton
#15	CSU Channel Islands
#21	Chico State
#22	CSU San Marcos
#30	San Francisco State
#41	Sonoma State

Best Colleges for Business Majors

#6	San José State
#9	Cal State Fullerton
#22	Cal Poly Pomona
#30	Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
#31	CSUN
#33	San Diego State
#35	San Francisco State
#47	Cal State Long Beach

Best Colleges for Engineering Majors

#30	San José State
#31	Cal State LA
#32	Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
#42	Cal Maritime

The Princeton Review 2020

Best in the West Colleges

Cal State East Bay

Humboldt State

Cal State Long Beach

Cal Poly Pomona

CSU San Bernardino

San Diego State

Sonoma State

Stanislaus State

Best 386 Colleges