Forbes ranks UC Riverside as a leading public university

UC Riverside is the No. 37 public university in a 2024-25 college ranking from Forbes magazine.

The methodology for the Forbes America's Top Colleges list relies on data from the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and the College Scorecard; the Seattle-based software and data company Payscale, which tracks graduates' earnings; the public policy think tank Third Way; the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics; and various Forbes lists.

Twenty percent of a university's score is based on its graduates' salaries; 15% on graduates' debt; 15% on graduation rate; 15% on return on investment, which gauges cost-vs.-earnings compared to high school graduates; 10% on student retention; 10% on academic success, and 15% on inclusion in Forbes various prestige lists, including Forbes 30 Under 30; Forbes 400; Richest Self-Made Women and Most Powerful Women.

UCR is No. 97 overall among 500 private and public universities considered for the 2024-25 Forbes list. The top five for the Forbes list included the same universities as in the previous year, though the ranked order was changed. Princeton University led this year's Forbes rankings, with Stanford, MIT, Yale, and UC Berkeley rounding out the top five.

The ranking follows a release this past week by Washington Monthly, which placed UC Riverside No. 16 among universities in Pell Grant student performance.

The U.S. News & World Report 2024 college rankings, the most-watched rankings, are set for release on Sept. 24. For the past five consecutive years, U.S. News has ranked UCR among the top two universities in the nation for social mobility.

For the complete list, visit the Forbes website.

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