Wall Street Journal names UCR No. 24 public university

UC Riverside was ranked No. 24 among public universities, an increase from No. 45 this past year, and No. 18 for social mobility in the 2026 Wall Street Journal/College Pulse rankings.

This year's Journal rankings represented a notable increase for UCR, climbing 51 positions to No. 57 in the overall rankings. This year's survey ranked 584 U.S. colleges.

This is the third year the Journal has partnered with College Pulse - a survey and analytics company - to produce the rankings. In three years, UCR has climbed 124 positions in the WSJ rankings, from No. 181 overall in 2024.

UCR ranked this year ahead of sister campuses UCLA, Irvine, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. Berkley, Davis, and Merced were Nos. 1, 2, and 3 among publics.

The WSJ rankings place great weight on graduates' salaries, schools' graduation rates, and diversity. Learning environment, another primary measure, is based on an expansive survey of students and recent alumni. The survey measures quality of teaching and feedback, career preparation and learning facilities, and how likely students are to recommend their school to a friend.

Previously, the Journal partnered with Times Higher Education. UCR fared well in the WSJ/THE rankings, ranking among the top 50 public universities in 2022.

Fall is college rankings season, and UCR has fared well in two other recent rankings. In the U.S. News & World Report rankings, UCR ranked No. 1 in the nation for social mobility, and No. 36 among public universities, and No. 75 overall. In the Washington Monthly rankings, UCR is No. 25 among publics, and increased to the No. 50 university in the overall rankings.