Cal State LA earns five-star rating in Money.com’s Best Colleges in America rankings

Money.com has once again honored Cal State LA as one of the "Best Colleges in America."

The publication's 2026 rankings gave Cal State LA a five-star rating, one of only 42 colleges across the country to receive the top-scale designation.

Money.com points to Cal State LA students' 66% graduation rate but said "where Cal State LA really stands out is helping students from low-income families climb up the socioeconomic ladder."

In 2022, Opportunity Insights at Harvard University listed Cal State LA as the top university in the nation for upward mobility, a measurement of how effectively colleges enroll economically disadvantaged students and graduate them into well-paying careers. Two years later, the California Mobility Index's inaugural rankings of the state's colleges also placed Cal State LA in the No. 1 position.

Money.com's list evaluated more than 700 colleges based on value, including tuition fees, graduation rates, how much debt students incur, and graduates' earnings after college. It considered 25 data points, with the affordability measures being the most important.

The diverse list of five-star colleges included five additional California State University campuses, four from the University of California system, eight Ivy Leagues, private research universities, liberal arts colleges, and other public institutions.

Money.com also listed Cal State LA among the Best Public Colleges, Best Colleges in the West, and Best Colleges with High Acceptance Rates.

Some of the key cost statistics for the university were its estimated full price of $37,470 for 2026-27; 94% of undergraduates who receive grants; and $4,700 estimated price after average financial aid. Its undergraduates take an average of 4.6 years to complete their degrees, and recent graduates earn a median income of $37,248.

"As befitting a university in one of the U.S.'s most cosmopolitan cities, Cal State LA has a long history of celebrating its diverse student population," the publication said. "The university is home to the oldest Chicano studies program in the U.S. and has been designated an Asian American and Native American Pacific-Islander Serving Institution.

In addition to its academic successes, Money.com also singled out The Luckman as a "venue for theater, dance, music, and other performances, and it features one of the biggest stages in the Los Angeles area."

California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 22,000 students and has more than 260,000 distinguished alumni.