UC Berkeley named high public college within the nation by ‘US News’

UC Berkeley has been named the highest public college within the nation, in accordance with new rankings released today (Monday, Sept. 22) by U.S. News & World Report.

It is the sixteenth time over the previous twenty years that Berkeley has claimed the highest spot within the annual U.S. News Best Colleges rankings. Berkeley has constantly been one of many highest-ranked public colleges nationally because the journal’s rankings started in 1983.

“We are honored to once again be recognized as the nation’s top public university,” mentioned Chancellor Rich Lyons. “The data affirm all that Berkeley does as a powerful engine of economic mobility, and provider of affordable world-class education, accessible to all. We are proud of our pioneering research on society’s top challenges, shaping solutions that directly support our economy and the health, well-being and security of the American people.”

Berkeley additionally got here in No. 1 amongst all ranked schools once more for its information analytics/science applications, and for its civil engineering and electrical/digital/communications engineering applications, each up from the No. 2 slot final 12 months. 

The 2026 U.S. News rankings evaluated greater than 1,700 U.S. schools and universities, utilizing as much as 17 key components to measure educational high quality, together with commencement charges, peer evaluation, monetary assets per pupil and social mobility. While the rankings primarily consider establishments primarily based on their undergraduate applications, in addition they take into account facets of graduate schooling and analysis, aiming to supply a holistic evaluation of the establishment. 

All collectively, Berkeley landed within the high 5 in 23 of 43 ranked classes, together with undergraduate economics applications, synthetic intelligence, principle and finest schools for veterans.  

U.S. News additionally individually evaluates graduate applications yearly, through which Berkeley’s skilled colleges and doctoral applications constantly rank among the many nation’s finest. Of the 50 applications ranked final April, 9 nabbed the highest spot, together with English, psychology and laptop engineering. Thirty-two positioned within the high 5. 

After Berkeley, different high public universities within the 2026 U.S. News rankings embody UCLA (2nd), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (third), and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and University of Virginia, which tied for fourth. Of all universities within the nation, which incorporates private and non-private establishments, Berkeley tied with Columbia University for fifteenth place. 

Berkeley is routinely acknowledged because the nation’s high public college, most just lately in Forbes’ rankings of America’s Top Colleges and U.S. News’ Best Global Universities rankings. It additionally earned the excellence because the main public college in North America within the QS World University Rankings 2026 and topped the PitchBook college rankings earlier this month for producing extra startups based by undergraduate alumni than another college worldwide.