Ranked in Top 25 Public Schools by Forbes
Cal Poly ranked 57th overall out of 500 public and private not-for-profit universities in the U.S. that were ranked.
Cal Poly is one of Forbes’ Top 25 Public Colleges, as part of the magazine’s 2024-25 list of America’s Top Colleges. Cal Poly was named the best public-master’s university in California and is 14th on the list of top public and private universities in the West in the business magazine’s latest annual rankings.
Overall, Cal Poly was 57th — up from No. 83 in 2023 — among the 500 public and private not-for-profit universities in the U.S. that were ranked. The top five are Princeton, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale and UC Berkeley.
Among institutions in the Golden State, Cal Poly was 12th overall and seventh among public schools, behind University of California campuses at Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Irvine and Davis — all doctorate-level institutions.
In the Top 25 Public Colleges rankings, Cal Poly is included along with seven other California schools: the six UC campuses and San Diego State University. Cal Poly and SDSU are part of the 23-campus California State University system, the nation’s largest public university, educating more than 450,000 students each year. Cal Poly was listed 18th overall among public institutions and seventh among California schools.
“While prestigious private colleges — particularly the eight Ivies — get the lion’s share of media attention, it’s public colleges that educate a majority of America’s undergraduates,” the magazine wrote. “Three out of every five bachelor’s degree-seeking students in the U.S. attend a state school.”
Cal Poly “boasts high starting and mid-career median salaries for its graduates, who often go on to work in technology, engineering and business,” the magazine reported. “Two years after graduating from a four-year program, Cal Poly alumni earn a median $72,358. Later on in their careers, 10 years after graduation, their median salaries hover around $148,600.”
Forbes’ annual list showcases schools that produce successful, high-earning and influential graduates from all economic backgrounds, with less student debt. It includes doctoral research universities, master’s universities and colleges and baccalaureate colleges, as well as colleges that offer specialized programs in engineering, business and art.
To see the full Forbes Best Colleges list, visit: https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/.