UC Merced Gains Ground on US News Best Colleges List. How Did Other Valley Universities Do?

Local Education

By The Merced Focus

Published 41 minutes ago on

September 27, 2025

Twin graduates are shown at UC Merced commencement in 2024. (The Merced FOCUS/Victor A. Patton/File)

The list ranks UC Merced No. 3 in the nation for social mobility, the second consecutive year achieving that ranking.
The university receives a No. 25 ranking among the nation's top public schools.
Fresno State is rated No. 30 for social mobility, No. 46 for undergraduate engineering, and No. 52 for best value.

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UC Merced can take pride in the latest U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges Report, as the university continues to make progress in key rankings.

The 20-year-old campus is now ranked No. 57 among universities in the nation, climbing up a spot from last year’s overall rankings, and rising three spots from the No. 60 ranking in 2023.

Additionally, this year UC Merced scored:

No. 3 in the nation in the category of social mobility, the second consecutive year achieving that ranking.
No. 25 among top public schools.
No.133 among schools for best value.
No.135 for best undergraduate engineering programs (doctorate).

The U.S. News and World Report rankings evaluate nearly 1,500 national colleges and universities on 17 measures of academic quality.

“UC Merced was built to advance discovery, expand opportunity and transform lives,” Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said in a news release.

“Earning a place among the top 25 public universities in our first 20 years and ranking third in social mobility demonstrates that this vision is not only being realized but gaining national recognition. We are proud to be shaping the future of higher education right here in the Central Valley.”

Rankings for Other Valley Universities

Other Valley universities also achieved solid marks in this year’s report:

Stanislaus State scored among the top regional universities in the West, achieving No. 3 in the category of Top Performers on Social Mobility, No. 6 among Top Public Schools, No. 7 among Best Colleges for Veterans and No. 9 for Regional Universities West.

Stanislaus State also ranked No. 26 in Best Value Schools. “At Stan State, a college degree uplifts families and communities across the Central Valley. It fuels economic vitality and creates opportunity across generations,” President Britt Rios-Ellis said in a news release.”

“These rankings highlight our mission in motion: to open doors, to expand access and to ensure every Warrior is equipped to lead, serve and thrive, right here in the heart of the Valley.”

University of the Pacific in Stockton placed No. 139 among Best Universities nationally and No. 48 for Best Value.

Fresno State placed No. 30 on the report in the category of social mobility, No. 46 among schools for best undergraduate engineering programs, No. 52 among best value schools. No. 100 among Top Public Schools, and No. 183 among Best Universities nationally.

California State University Bakersfield placed No. 18 among Top Public Schools in the West, No. 31 among Regional Universities in the West and No. 60 among Best Undergraduate Engineering programs (no doctorate).