California State University, Bakersfield has been recognized for its efforts to help students from low-income households graduate and become successful.
CollegeNET has ranked CSUB No. 10 out of more than 1,400 schools as part of its 2022 Social Mobility Index, a significant increase from No. 20 last year. The index ranks four-year institutions based on several benchmarks, including how many students they enroll from low-income backgrounds and how effectively they graduate those students into good-paying jobs.
CSUB was the only university in the San Joaquin Valley to make the top 20. Seven other CSU campuses accomplished this, including Northridge, Long Beach and San Francisco.
CollegeNET considers several factors when determining its rankings, including tuition cost, graduation score, the percentage of low-income students and the median early career salary.
One new metric the company used in its rankings this year is called Ethos, which measures how well a school’s messages and communications inform students and the public about its mission and the value of a college degree.
Data are collected from third-party sources, such as the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
CollegeNET is a Portland, Oregon-based company that provides web-based technology services to colleges, universities and nonprofit institutions.
At CSUB, more than half of students come from low-income households. In the 2021-22 school year, more than 60% of undergraduates were eligible for a federal Pell Grant, which are only awarded to students from low-income households.
CSUB has been ranked for social mobility and affordability by other outlets this year, including:
To see the full rankings from CollegeNET, visit socialmobilityindex.org.