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Cal Poly ranks 55th in the nation on Forbes' list of America's Top Colleges

Cal Poly
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Cal Poly has been ranked one of Forbes’ Top 25 Public Colleges as part of the magazine’s 2025-26 list of America’s Top Colleges.

Overall, Cal Poly was 55th in the nation — up from 57th in 2024 and No. 83 in 2023 — among the 500 ranked public and private not-for-profit universities in the U.S.

The rankings, which were released on Aug. 26, looked beyond the Ivy League.

Its top school was Massachusetts Institute of Technology of Boston.

Also in the top five were Columbia University in New York, Princeton University of New Jersey, Stanford University, and the University of California, Berkeley.

Among public and private institutions in California, Cal Poly ranked 12th overall for the second consecutive year.

It also ranked seventh among public schools, behind University of California campuses at Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Irvine, Santa Barbara and Davis— all of which are doctorate-level institutions.

Cal Poly officials say the ranking highlights how Learn by Doing helps prepare Cal Poly students for success.

“Families find a Cal Poly education a great return on investment, while our students remain attracted to our hands-on, Learn by Doing approach,” said Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong in a press release on Wednesday. “For decades, employers have found value in classroom, campus club, and lab experiences that transform our students into graduates ready to succeed in their careers and their communities from day one.”

In the Top 25 Public Colleges rankings, Cal Poly joined seven other California schools, all of which were UC campuses.

The university also moved up one spot to 17th overall among public institutions nationally.

The magazine reported that Cal Poly is one of the 25 public schools that “give the private elites a run for their money," adding that "their students have strong academic outcomes, high salaries and less debt.”

Forbes highlighted Cal Poly’s acceptance rate of just below 30%, saying that the university’s “graduates earn a median salary of $83,200 three years after graduating, which jumps to $153,100 at 20 years.”

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.

This is the second major ranking Cal Poly has received this summer.

In July, Cal Poly received Money magazine’s top five-star ranking in its 2025-26 Best Colleges in America list, which is designed to help students and their parents choose a school in terms of value.