Key takeaways
*UCLA earns an eighth consecutive top ranking from U.S. News & World Report, landing the No. 1 spot among public universities on the 2025 “Best Colleges” list.
*The campus ranks highest in social mobility among the nation’s top 25 universities.
*UCLA is once again the No. 1 public university for military veterans, an honor it has held for eight straight years.
*Nearly one-third of UCLA undergraduates are first-generation college students, and a third are from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.
*As thousands of students began moving into UCLA’s residence halls just days ago, Neilani Maximo, a newly admitted first-year student took a moment to soak it all in. Flanked by her beaming mother and sister outside her new dorm, the Gardena resident and pre-psychology major said UCLA felt like the right choice the moment she stepped foot on campus last spring for a Black student admit event.
“I just felt really welcomed. I just felt, ‘This is the place for me,’” she said. “And I knew it was the No. 1 public university. So I’m definitely bragging about it.”
Her mother, Lily, wearing a “UCLA Mom” T-shirt, spoke about Maximo’s hard work and dedication coming to fruition. “I’m very proud,” she said. “I think she’ll have a great experience.”
Maximo is among the newest class of diverse and academically accomplished students to enter UCLA, which continues to cement its reputation as a place where students from all walks of life can learn, thrive and shape their future success.
That excellence has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report, which once again named UCLA the No. 1 public university in the United States in its influential annual “Best Colleges” rankings, released today. This is the eighth consecutive year UCLA has garnered the top ranking.
“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. “With our firm commitment to inclusive excellence, UCLA is continuing to redefine what it means to be a great public institution.”Excellence across the board
The U.S. News rankings are based on 17 measures of academic quality, including graduation and retention rates, class size and the average federal loan debt of graduates, as well as schools’ academic reputation, as assessed by other chancellors, presidents, provosts and admissions deans at colleges throughout the U.S.
UCLA performed extremely well across all criteria. Among the top 25 national universities — public or private — the campus ranked highest in social mobility, which looks at the academic success of diverse students, particularly first-generation students and those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, who account for nearly 1 in 3 undergraduates. At UCLA, these students graduate at rates comparable to campus’s overall graduation rate, which exceeds 90%. A majority of students complete their education without debt.
UCLA increases number of California residents and underrepresented students admitted for fall 2024
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