CSUMB has been ranked among Top 25 universities in the West.

CSUMB has made the list of U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 Best Colleges rankings, earning the No. 25 spot overall among Regional Universities (West).

The Regional Universities category includes universities that offer a full range of undergraduate, some master’s and few doctoral programs.

“California State University, Monterey Bay earned multiple spots on the list of 2021 Best Colleges because of its high rankings” according to U.S. News & World Reports. They include:

• Regional Universities (West) — 25th
• Undergraduate Teaching — Regional Universities (West) — 17th
• Top Public Schools — Regional Universities (West) — 8th
• Social Mobility — Regional Universities (West) — 5th

“We scored very high in several broad areas,” said Ronnie Higgs, vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services. “Graduation and retention, graduation rate performance, social mobility, faculty resources, financial resources, student excellence and alumni giving.”

The rankings have been published annually since 1985 to help students and parents evaluate schools. It is one of the most relied upon rankings of U.S. colleges and universities.

“This is great news for CSUMB,” said Veronica O. Chukwuemeka, director of CSUMB’s Office of Institutional Assessment and Research. “This publication is national and international, meaning that college applicants all over the world often consult these rankings in making college decisions.”

The list comes from data and surveys sent in by participating colleges and universities as well as opinion surveys of faculty and administrators from other schools.

There are four overall categories: national universities, liberal arts colleges, regional universities and regional colleges, with the two regional categories subdivided into North, South, Midwest and West.

Some of the criteria include retention and graduation rates, Pell Grants, class size and faculty salary, financial resources and expert opinion.

The top spot for Regional Universities (West) for 2021 went to Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, with 2,528 students and tuition and fees of $44,456. With a total enrollment of 7,616, CSUMB's in-state tuition and fees are listed at $7,143.