Stanford and Yale Tie for No. 4 in U.S. News Rankings

Stanford University tied with Yale University for the prestigious No. 4 position in the 2026 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings revealed on September 23, 2023. This year’s rankings continued to highlight the competitive nature of higher education in the United States, showcasing both achievements and declines among various institutions.

Princeton University retained the coveted No. 1 spot overall, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at No. 2 and Harvard University at No. 3. The rankings evaluated over 1,700 colleges and universities across the nation based on multiple factors, including graduation rates, student debt, and post-graduate earnings, contributing to the overall assessments of the institutions’ performance.

In a notable shift, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) experienced a significant drop from a tie at No. 6 to No. 11, marking the only institution to fall out of the top 10. Meanwhile, the California State University, Long Beach also saw a decline, dropping from No. 109 to tie at No. 127.

In the category of liberal arts colleges, Williams College and Amherst College maintained their top two rankings at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Additionally, Harvey Mudd College in Claremont made its first appearance in the top ten at No. 10, moving up two spots from last year, and tying with Carleton College and the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Harvey Mudd College continues to distinguish itself with an enrollment of fewer than 1,000 students and a favorable faculty-to-student ratio of 8:1. The college retained its No. 13 position for Most Innovative Schools and No. 14 for Undergraduate Research. Its undergraduate engineering program also ranked No. 2 among non-doctorate-granting institutions.

California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) achieved significant recognition by maintaining its No. 1 ranking among regional universities in the West for the third consecutive year. Cal Poly has held the distinction of being the best public institution in the West for 33 consecutive years, leading among all 97 public and private institutions in a region that spans California and 14 other western states.

In the University of California (UC) system, UC Berkeley and UCLA were ranked as the top two public universities. UC Berkeley tied with Columbia University for a No. 15 position among national universities, while UCLA ranked No. 17 overall. This year, UC Davis and UC Irvine tied for No. 9 among public institutions, with an overall ranking of No. 32.

UC San Diego ranked No. 6 among public universities and No. 29 overall. Other UC campuses also performed well, with UC Santa Barbara at No. 14, UC Merced at No. 25, UC Riverside at No. 36, and UC Santa Cruz at No. 43.

The UC system demonstrated exceptional performance in social mobility rankings, with UC Riverside topping the national list and UC Merced securing the third spot. These rankings reflect a commitment to providing educational opportunities and support for students from various socioeconomic backgrounds.

A separate analysis by a local publication found that both UC and California State University campuses deliver strong return on investment (ROI) for graduates. In addition, a recent study from another outlet ranked 21 California colleges and universities in the top 100 for their impact on graduate salaries, with Stanford placing second nationwide.