California universities land on ‘2026 Best Colleges’ list: report

(FOX 5/KUSI) — Several colleges in California have landed on the latest edition of the “Best Colleges” list, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The “2026 Best Colleges” list, released on Tuesday, includes 32 institutions in the Golden State with a mix of small liberal arts colleges and large research universities.

The colleges in California that made the national list are the following:

Ranking	Name of Institution
#4	Stanford University
#11	California Institute of Technology
#15	University of California, Berkeley
#17	University of California, Los Angeles
#28	University of Southern California
#29	University of California, San Diego
#32	University of California, Davis
#32	University of California, Irvine
#40	University of California, Santa Barbara
#57	University of California, Merced
#59	Santa Clara University
#75	University of California, Riverside
#84	Pepperdine University
#88	University of California, Santa Cruz
#102	Loyola Marymount University
#110	Chapman University
#110	University of San Diego
#110	University of San Francisco
#117	San Diego State University
#127	California State University, Long Beach
#139	California State University – Fullerton
#139	University of the Pacific
#179	California State University – San Bernardino
#183	California State University – Fresno
#208	San Francisco State University
#213	University of La Verne
#242	Biola University
#257	California State University – East Bay
#273	The Master’s University and Seminary
#283	Azusa Pacific University
#318	Concordia University Irvine

The rankings were out of 434 universities and colleges nationwide.

The data was collected using a rigorous methodology that evaluates more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities with up to 17 factors, according to U.S. News & World Report.

To be eligible for the directory, the institutions must grant bachelor’s degrees, hold regional accreditation, offer traditional campus-based education and actively accept new applicants for first-year, full-time students.

Visit the U.S. News & World Report’s website for the full summary of how the college rankings were calculated.