Forbes methodology factors in salary, debt, and graduation rates

– Cal Poly was again named one of Forbes’ Top 25 Public Colleges in the magazine’s 2025-26 list of America’s Top Colleges.

Overall, Cal Poly ranked No. 55 among 500 public and private not-for-profit universities in the U.S., moving up from No. 57 in 2024 and No. 83 in 2023. Among public institutions nationwide, Cal Poly placed 17th, up one spot from last year.

In California, Cal Poly was 12th overall for the second consecutive year and seventh among public universities. The six University of California campuses ranked ahead were Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Irvine, Santa Barbara, and Davis.

Forbes’ top school was Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Also in the top five were Columbia University, Princeton University, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong said the ranking reflects the university’s emphasis on its hands-on learning model.

“Families find a Cal Poly education a great return on investment, while our students remain attracted to our hands-on, Learn by Doing approach,” Armstrong said. “For decades, employers have found value in classroom, campus club, and lab experiences that transform our students into graduates ready to succeed in their careers and their communities from Day One.”

Forbes reported that Cal Poly’s acceptance rate is just below 30%. The university’s graduates earn a median salary of $83,200 three years after graduating, which increases to $153,100 at 20 years.

The magazine wrote that the 25 public schools on the list “give the private elites a run for their money. Their students have strong academic outcomes, high salaries, and less debt. As public universities brace for the impact of slashed research funding and future enrollment declines, they’re still doing the bulk of the work of educating America’s students and doing it at a lower price than their private counterparts.”

Forbes’ methodology considered alumni salary, student debt, graduation rate, retention rate, return on investment, academic success, and the Forbes American Leaders List, which assesses the leadership and entrepreneurship of a school’s graduates.

This is the second major recognition for Cal Poly this summer. In July, Money magazine gave the university a five-star rating in its 2025-26 Best Colleges in America list, which ranked 732 institutions based on graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid, and alumni salaries.

The full Forbes Best Colleges list is available at www.forbes.com/top-colleges.