This summer, Cal Poly earned three major endorsements from Money Magazine, U.S. News & World Reports and Forbes. Some rankings were consistent with years prior, while others placed Cal Poly higher.
Money Magazine gave Cal Poly a five-star ranking in its 2025-26 Best Colleges in America List, their highest designation. This is the institution’s third year ranked, and seven other Cal State campuses earned five-star ratings. Money Magazine bases their rankings on “graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid, alumni salaries and more,” according to their website.
U.S. News & World Reports ranked Cal Poly as the best overall master’s-level university in the West for both public and private institutions. The West includes California and 14 other states on the West Coast.
“This is the 33rd straight year Cal Poly is ranked best public institution in the West and the third year running it has been ranked tops among all 97 public and private institutions in the region,” according to a university-wide press release.
Cal Poly Maritime also earned an award from U.S. News & World Reports, named the best public college in the West, and ranked second among private and public colleges.
Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong expressed gratitude for the recognition in a press release.
“Our Learn by Doing ethos continues to create thousands of graduates each year who make a difference in their respective industries and occupations,” Armstrong said.
Forbes placed Cal Poly in the top 25 public colleges of its 2025-26 list of America’s Top Colleges and 55th in the nation overall.
“Among public and private institutions in California, Cal Poly was 12th overall for the second consecutive year and again seventh among public schools,” according to a second university-wide press release.
What students think about Cal Poly’s rankings
Each year, when rankings are released, the university spreads the word about it, but do Cal Poly students care where their school ranks?
“I knew I would be playing volleyball, and I knew things about the school, but I had not really looked at overall ratings, ” Jaden Hendrickson, a psychology sophomore, said.
Ayo Wu-Zucker, environmental management sophomore, did not look into rankings when applying to Cal Poly.
“I saw that it [the curriculum] was really hands-on, and the Learn by Doing part stood out to me more [than rankings],” Wu-Zucker said.
However, the university rankings made a difference to some students.
“Cal Poly and its ranking, among other things, was a factor that I considered,” Zachary Walker, a computer science freshman, said.
Now enrolled, though, the improved rankings did not shift Walker’s view of Cal Poly.
“It really doesn’t matter,” Walker said. “I hope I’m attending a good school, and it continuing to get good rankings is a good indicator of that.”