California State University, Bakersfield received several major rankings in U.S. News and World Report’s 2026 Best Colleges report, which was released today.
For the western region of the nation, the media company ranked CSUB No. 18 in the Top Public Schools category, No. 21 in Top Performers on Social Mobility and No. 31 in Regional Universities.
“Families rely on a variety of factors in making decisions about college, and national rankings are helpful in comparing universities,” said President Vernon B. Harper Jr. “What CSUB’s consistently high rankings for academic excellence, affordability and social mobility say to the families of Kern County and the Antelope Valley is that there is no need to leave home to get a first-class education. Stay in the community that has nurtured and supported you, with your family by your side, and one day you will be the leaders that the next generation of local students will emulate.”
For the past few years, U.S. News has placed a heavier emphasis on social mobility and factors such as the performance and the outcomes of first-generation students in its rankings. Some of the criteria that institutions were ranked on include graduation rates, first-year retention rates and the performance of graduates who received Pell grants.
The Top Public Schools category consists of public colleges and universities that operate under the supervision of state governments and are funded, in part, through tax dollars and subsidies from the state.
The Top Performers on Social Mobility ranking is determined by how successfully schools graduated students who received Pell grants, which are given to students who have demonstrated exceptional financial need.
The Regional Universities West category ranks universities in the western part of the nation that offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master’s degrees but few, if any, doctoral programs.
CSUB has received several top rankings from other outlets over the past academic year, including:
CSUB also received a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars by Money magazine as part of its 2025 Best Colleges in America rankings this summer.
Visit the U.S. News and World Report’s 2026 Best Colleges website to see its full rankings.
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