ڹϳ named among The Princeton Review’s Best 391 Colleges, Top 50 Green Colleges
ڹϳ earned high scores for student quality of life and professor accessibility, and for its commitment to sustainability.

ڹϳ is named in the 2026 edition of , earning high ratings for academics, admissions selectivity, professor accessibility, financial aid, fire safety, quality of life and campus sustainability. ڹϳ also landed on The Princeton Review’s and lists.
Only about 15% of America’s nearly 2,400 four-year colleges are included in The Princeton Review guidebook. The list names 391 universities based on surveys of 2,000 college administrators about their institutions’ academic offerings, and surveys of students who rated their schools on dozens of topics.
ڹϳ earned noteworthy scores (on a scale from 60–99) in several categories, including quality of life (89), admissions selectivity (88), professor accessibility (90), green initiatives (97), financial aid (89) and fire safety (96).
"ڹϳ has outstanding academic programs and the feedback we received about ڹϳ from its students we surveyed was very impressive," said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's editor-in-chief and lead author of The Best 391 Colleges. "We are delighted to name ڹϳ one of our Best Colleges for 2026 and to recommend it to students searching for their ‘best-fit’ college.”
The Princeton Review does not rank schools included in the Best 391 Colleges hierarchically from 1 to 391, but does provide scores in several categories. More information on how these scores are determined is , as are details about the for the rankings and the .
The also includes mention of student employment and internship resources offered through , including , a recruiting platform for students and alumni, and the , which matches juniors and seniors to ڹϳ-affiliated mentors.
This is the second year in a row ڹϳ earned the No. 42 spot in the rankings, which recognizes institutions for their sustainability practices, sustainability education, and quality of life for students on campus. The ranking is based on a combination of school-reported data and student survey data. ڹϳ is the only California State University campus included in the Top 50.
The Princeton Review also , a breakdown of 631 “academically outstanding” universities in seven different regions of the U.S.
ڹϳ has seen a recent string of recognition in notable university rankings over the past year.
This past June, ڹϳ was ranked in the top 3% of global universities and among the top 150 universities in the U.S. by the Center for World University Rankings.
Also in June, ڹϳ earned 4.5 out of 5 stars in Money’s 2025 Best Colleges in America ratings, recognized for its strong graduation rates and return on investment.
In April, U.S. News & World Report highlighted several ڹϳ graduate programs in the top 50 of its graduate school rankings, and in January, placed ڹϳ’s online master’s degree in education at No. 3 in its 2025 Best Online Master’s in Education Program Rankings.
In February, ڹϳ joined the top 5% of universities in the U.S. to be designated as an R1 institution by the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education. The designation represents the highest level of research activity and doctorate production among nationwide universities, reflecting ڹϳ's dedication to excellence in both innovation and education. The Carnegie Foundation also named ڹϳ one of its .
This significant distinction, earned by just 16% of institutions nationally, celebrates schools that successfully enroll students from their local communities and achieve strong post-graduation earning outcomes. ڹϳ also earned an , highlighting its collaboration with local, regional, national and global communities.



