Cal Poly ranks among top 40 public and private universities in the nation

Cal Poly ranked among the top 40 public and private not-for-profit colleges in the nation in TIME’s new college ranking, the San Luis Obispo university announced in a news release on Tuesday.

Cal Poly ranked at No. 38 among the best public and private colleges in the country, according to TIME — and it was one of only 10 public universities to land in the top 40.

It also was one of 15 California universities to make the top 100.

The 2026-27 list is TIME’s inaugural college ranking, measuring student outcomes, learning environment and attractiveness to students. The metrics were analyzed in partnership with online data platform Statista, with student outcomes comprising 75% of the total score, while learning environment made up 15% and attractiveness accounted for 10%, according to TIME.

“As jobs have become more technological, job markets have become more competitive, and the costs of tuition have risen, college students are increasingly considering the ROI of their education, or how efficiently it can be used to acquire a high-paying job post-grad,” TIME said.

Cal Poly received a total score of 84.08 on the ranking. It’s highest score was in student outcomes, at 95.11, with attractiveness following at 91.67. The university’s learning environment, however, scored much lower at just 23.84.

Cal Poly placed as the No. 10 public university on the list and the No. 4 public university in California, falling in line after UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC San Diego.

The university’s Tuesday news release said the placement “underscores the university’s continued focus on providing a high-value, hands-on education that prepares graduates to lead in their fields and make an impact.”

“Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing approach prepares students not only to earn a degree but also to make meaningful contributions from day one on the job,” Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong said in the release. “Students and their families are making important investments of time and resources in a college education, and they rightly expect a strong return. This national recognition reflects the value of a Cal Poly education and the extraordinary commitment of our faculty and staff to helping students succeed.”

Here’s a look at the top-ranked California universities on the list:

1. Stanford

3. Harvey Mudd

6. Cal Tech

9. Claremont McKenna College

15. UC Berkeley

29. Santa Clara

32. USC

34. UCLA

35. UC San Diego

38. Cal Poly SLO

43. UC Santa Barbara

70. La Verne

76. Pomona College

86. University of San Diego

90. UC Davis