For the third year in a row, Cal Poly has received a coveted five-star rating in Money magazine’s 2025-26 “Best Colleges in America” list.
The magazine’s annual list highlights the top 732 colleges nationwide based on graduation rates, affordability, alumni success and other key metrics.
Cal Poly stood out for its 86% graduation rate, strong postgrad outcomes including a median early-career salary of over $90,700 and hands-on “Learn by Doing” approach.
Cal Poly is one of only 40 schools to earn five stars this year down from 54 last year joining the likes of Harvard and Princeton, and is among 18 top-rated institutions in California.
Eight other California State University campuses also earned top ratings, with Money magazine noting the CSU system’s exceptional value this year.
The full rankings were released June 25 and can be viewed at money.com.
