Cal Poly has been named the best in the West for 29 consecutive years, according to a new ranking released by U.S. News and World Report.
Cal Poly’s engineering programs were likewise named among the finest in the country.
SAN LUIS OBISPO — In U.S. News & World Report’s annual Top Colleges guidebook, Cal Poly has been rated the best public master’s-level institution in the West for the 29th year in a row.
The 2024 book, which was published on Sept. 13, includes information on over 1,800 schools and universities, as well as rankings for over 1,400 of them. Cal Poly is rated second overall in the West, up one spot from last year, and is the region’s top-ranked public institution.
In addition, several Cal Poly College of Engineering programs were named among the best in the country for masters-level educational institutions, and the university was named the top school in the West for veterans among public and private institutions that participate in federal programs that help veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees.
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Public and private schools in 15 states are included in the Western regional rankings, which provide “a broad variety of undergraduate and master’s-level programs but few doctorate programs.” (Doctoral universities, such as those in the University of California system, are included in a different category.)
“Cal Poly’s long-term success in this prestigious publication confirms what we already know from our graduates’ achievements: our Learn by Doing education equips Cal Poly alumni with the skills they need to hit the ground running in their careers and prepares them to use cross-disciplinary thinking and hands-on experience to solve the problems that our world faces,” said Cal Poly President Jeffree. “Rankings like these are also a testament to Cal Poly’s committed professors and staff, who work hard to assist our students achieve their objectives.”
Cal Poly came in first position in a number of polls, including:
- Repeating as the top public school in the Western United States – schools governed by state governments and supported in part by tax money and state subsidies. Residents of these states are often offered reduced tuition at these institutions.
- Repeating as the top university in the West for Most Innovative Schools, which recognizes schools that are pioneering new approaches to curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology, and infrastructure.
- Best in the West for most veteran-friendly colleges for the second year in a row – a ranking that highlights the top-ranked schools that engage in government programs that assist veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees.
- Repeating as the top public institution in the West for undergraduate teaching (and third overall in the area).
- On the list of best master’s-level engineering programs in the country, it’s tied for seventh place with the fourth-best public university and the top public California university. Cal Poly’s Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering departments were rated second in the West overall and first among public institutions within speciality programs.
- In the Top Performers on Social Mobility category, ranked in the top 100 (tied for 94th, up two places from previous year) among western institutions that “promote social mobility” by enrolling and graduating high numbers of underprivileged students receiving Pell Grants. The majority of these government awards go to students with adjusted gross family incomes of less than $50,000.
The approach used by U.S. News emphasizes on academic achievement, with institutions ranked based on hundreds of data points and academic quality indicators including graduation and freshman retention rates. The rankings were originally published in 1983, and they have since evolved to include additional institutions and data points for college-bound students to evaluate. More information about the rankings may be found on the internet.
