Cal Poly has been ranked the best overall master’s-level university in the West for the third consecutive year in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Colleges guidebook.
This is the 33rd straight year that Cal Poly has been ranked as the best public institution in the West for both public and private institutions.
The publication also marks the third year in a row that Cal Poly has been ranked above all 97 public and private institutions in the region, which includes California and 14 other western states.
“We appreciate U.S. News’ recognition of Cal Poly as one of the nation’s finest universities for more than a generation,” said Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong in a press release on Tuesday. “Our Learn by Doing ethos continues to create thousands of graduates each year who make a difference in their respective industries and occupations."
In addition to its top overall ranking, Cal Poly also received several titles distinguishing it from the more than 100 others on the list.
The university was named number one in the West for Most Innovative Schools.
For the sixth straight year, the university was also ranked the top school in the West for veterans because of its participation in federal initiatives that help veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees.
Cal Poly placed highly in several other rankings, including seventh place in Best Value Schools, second place in Best Undergraduate Teaching, and fifth place in best master's-level engineering program in the nation.
Cal Poly Maritime Academy also received other top rankings among 97 western schools, including sixth-best in top performers on social mobility and 60th in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs at schools where doctorates are not offered.
U.S. News & World Report's Western regional rankings include public and private institutions in 15 states that provide “a full range of undergraduate and master’s-level programs but few doctoral programs.”
Universities that grant doctoral degrees, such as the University of California Santa Barbara, are listed in a separate category.
This is the third college ranking list that Cal Poly has appeared on this summer.
In early July, the university again received a top five-star ranking in Money magazine’s 2025-26 Best Colleges in America list.
Cal Poly was also named to Forbes’ Top 25 Public Colleges as part of the magazine’s 2025-26 list of America’s Top Colleges in late August.
To read more about U.S. News & World Report 2026 regional rankings, click here.
