UCLA ranks as nation’s No. 1 public university for 8th year running – Daily Bruin

UCLA was ranked as the No. 1 public university in the United States by U.S. News & World Report for an eighth consecutive year.

U.S. News & World Report releases annual rankings of U.S. universities based on various factors, including graduation and retention rates, peer assessments, social mobility, borrower debt, post-graduate salary and faculty resources. The organization ranked UCLA as the 15th-best university in the country, tied with Dartmouth College for the same spot it held in 2024.

“This achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, resilience and ingenuity of UCLA’s students, faculty, staff and alumni,” Interim Chancellor Darnell Hunt said in a press release. “With our firm commitment to inclusive excellence, UCLA is continuing to redefine what it means to be a great public institution.”

In addition to being the No. 1 public university, UCLA received a No. 1 ranking in social mobility among the nation’s top 25 universities. The university also celebrated its eighth year as the No. 1 public university for military veterans.

U.S. News & World Report also ranked UCLA as among the top 10 universities for several academic programs, including psychology, economics, computer science, engineering, teaching and nursing.

Other UC campuses also occupied the top 10 public university rankings, including UC Berkeley, which tied with UCLA in 2024 but was ranked the second-best public university this year. UC San Diego was ranked the sixth-best public university, while UC Davis and UC Irvine tied for ninth place. 

The report also ranked Princeton University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University as the top three universities, respectively.