California State University, Bakersfield has been ranked among the top colleges in the nation for its efforts in helping economically disadvantaged students achieve success.

CollegeNet has ranked CSUB No. 20 out of more than 1,500 four-year colleges and universities as part of its 2021 Social Mobility Index. The index ranks institutions based on how effectively they graduate low-income students into good-paying jobs.

Nine other CSU campuses ranked among the top 20, including Fresno, Los Angeles and Fullerton.

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. 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 are considered low-income. In the 2020-21 school year, about 64% of undergraduates were eligible for a federal Pell Grant, which are only awarded to students from low-income families.

CSUB has been ranked for social mobility and affordability by other outlets this year, including:

• No. 28 in Top Performers in Social Mobility by U.S. News and World Report
• No. 21 out of 25 Most Affordable Four-Year Colleges of 2021 by Best Value Schools
• No. 25 Best Bang for the Buck by Washington Monthly

To see the full rankings, visit socialmobilityindex.org.