Forbes has named Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as one of its Top 25 Public Colleges in the magazine's 2024-25 list of America’s Top Colleges.
The university is also named the best public-master’s university in California and is 14th on the list of top public and private universities in the West in Forbes' latest annual rankings, released Aug. 27.
Overall, Cal Poly was 57th — up from No. 83 in 2023 — among the 500 public and private not-for-profit universities in the U.S. that were ranked. The top five are Princeton, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale and UC Berkeley.
Among institutions in the Golden State, Cal Poly was 12th overall and seventh among public schools, behind University of California campuses at Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Irvine, and Davis. Cal Poly rose four spots from its ranking of 18th among Western schools in 2023.
In the Top 25 Public Colleges rankings, Cal Poly is included along with seven other California schools: the six UC campuses and San Diego State University. Cal Poly was listed 18th overall among public institutions and seventh among California schools.
“While prestigious private colleges — particularly the eight Ivies — get the lion’s share of media attention, it’s public colleges that educate a majority of America’s undergraduates,” the magazine wrote. “Three out of every five bachelor’s degree-seeking students in the U.S. attend a state school.”
Cal Poly “boasts high starting and mid-career median salaries for its graduates, who often go on to work in technology, engineering and business,” the magazine reported.
Forbes said that Cal Poly alumni earn a median $72,358 two years after graduating. 10 years after graduation, alumni earn a median salary of $148,600.
“This ranking illustrates how Cal Poly is succeeding in providing our students with a world-class education and preparing tomorrow’s leaders to meet the critical demands of our state, nation, and world,” said Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong.
