U.S. News and World Report
CSU Monterey Bay rose higher in three major categories in the latest U.S. News and World Report college rankings, performing better than almost any other university in 15 western states in positioning disadvantaged students for promising futures.
No. 1
The 2025 U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges rankings rate CSU Monterey Bay as No. 1 in the western region for social mobility, a metric that measures how well a school puts low-income students on a path to success.
No. 5
Among regional public colleges in the West, CSUMB ranked No. 5 based on criteria such as graduation rate, instructor/student ratio and affordability.
No. 10
Compared to all regional colleges and universities in the 15 western states, CSUMB was rated 10, ahead of Cal State Chico and Sacramento State.
The Wall Street Journal’s Best Colleges in the U.S.
Wall Street Journal released its annual Wall Street Journal/College Pulse Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings and listed CSU Monterey Bay 158 out of 500 colleges
No. 23
For social mobility among the nation’s top 400 colleges for “students coming from lower-income families, while maintaining high graduation rates and having a positive impact on graduate salaries and minimizing the costs of attending the college.”
Forbes America’s Top Colleges 2025
Forbes said it evaluated 500 of “the finest U.S. colleges.” It ranked CSUMB as 11th for mid-sized public universities on that list and 158 overall.
Money Magazine
Money magazine has given CSU Monterey a 4.5-star rating (out of 5) in its most recent survey of Best Colleges in America. CSUMB was noted “for being both affordable and accessible” in the report.