Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo again named best in the west

September 24, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has been named best overall master’s-level university in the west for both public and private institutions for the second year in a row in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Colleges guidebook. It’s the 32nd straight year the learn by doing university is ranked best public institution in the West and the second year running it has been ranked tops among all 118 public and private institutions in the region.

The 2025 U.S. News & World Report, the magazine’s 40th rankings edition, evaluated over 1,800 institutions on as many as 17 areas, including statistics that pertain to measures reflecting academic quality and graduate outcomes — factors universally important to prospective students and their families.

Cal Poly was again named number one in the west for most innovative schools; several College of Engineering programs were ranked among the top five in the nation for masters-level educational institutions; and the university ranked for the fifth straight year as the top school in the west for veterans among public and private institutions that participate in federal initiatives helping veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees.

The western regional rankings include public and private institutions in 15 states that provide “a full range of undergraduate and master’s-level programs but few doctoral programs.”

“We are proud that Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing approach to education, and the work of our students, faculty and staff, is continually recognized as the best in the West,” said Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong. “It shows that Cal Poly is a destination where students can make an impact on their communities from the very beginning of their time on campus and continue to develop and refine their skills as they join the workforce or continue their education.