CALIFORNIA — Sixteen California colleges were ranked among the top 100 in the country by U.S. News & World Report Monday.

The rankings evaluated 1,500 colleges and universities using up to 19 measures of academic quality, the digital media company said in a news release. This year, the company said it significantly altered the way it ranks colleges, placing a greater emphasis on social mobility and outcomes for graduates.

More than half of a college’s ranking now looks at how well it enrolls and graduates students from all backgrounds, without over-burdening them with debt and leaving them with post-graduate success.

Additionally, the company no longer looks at five factors:
class size, faculty with terminal degrees, alumni giving, high school class standing, and the share of graduates who borrow federal loans.

Here are the rankings for the California schools:

• Stanford University: No. 3
• California Insitute of Technology: No. 7
• University of California, Berkeley: No. 15 (tie)
• University of California, Los Angeles: No. 15 (tie)
• University of California, Davis: No. 28
• University of California, San Diego: No. 28 (tie)
• University of Southern California: No. 28 (tie)
• University of California, Irvine: No. 33
• University of California, Santa Barbara: No. 35
• Santa Clara University: No. 60 (tie)
• University of California, Merced: No. 60 (tie)
• Pepperdine University: No. 76 (tie)
• University of California, Riverside: No. 76 (tie)
• University of California, Santa Cruz :No. 82
• Loyola Marymount University: No. 93
• University of San Diego: No. 98

“For 40 years, students and their families have come to count on Best Colleges as a vital resource as they navigate one of the most important decisions of their lives,” said Eric Gertler, executive chairman and CEO of U.S. News. “The significant changes in this year’s methodology are part of the ongoing evolution to make sure our rankings capture what is most important for students as they compare colleges and select the school that is right for them.”

About 20 schools saw their scores significantly rise under the new ranking methodology:

• Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (NC) +106
• University of Texas at San Antonio (TX) +92
• California State University, East Bay +88
• Florida Gulf Coast University +80
• University of Texas Rio Grande Valley +72
• Gwynedd Mercy University (PA) +71
• University of Nevada, Reno +68
• Northern Arizona University +68
• The University of Texas at El Paso +68
• California State University, Fresno +65
• The University of Texas at Arlington +63
• Northern Illinois University +62
• Aurora University (IL) +62
• Texas Woman’s University +62
• San Francisco State University (CA) +56
• Florida Atlantic University +54
• Augusta University (GA) +52
• University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh (WI) +52
• Texas State University +51
• University of Houston, Clear Lake +51

As for the top overall colleges in the nation, not much has changed since the 2022–23  rankings —
Princeton University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology kept their titles as the No. 1 and 2 schools in the country, with
Harvard University and Stanford University tying for third, according to the rankings.

Yale University fell two spots from tying for third in 2022-23 to No. 5 in the updated rankings.

2024 Best National Universities

1. Princeton University (NJ)
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. Harvard University (MA) (tie)
3. Stanford University (CA) (tie)

2024 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges

1. Williams College (MA)
2. Amherst College (MA)
3. United States Naval Academy (MD)

2024 Top Public Schools: National Universities

1. University of California, Berkeley (tie)
1. University of California, Los Angeles (tie)
3. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

2024 Top Public Schools: National Liberal Arts Colleges

1. United States Naval Academy (MD)
2. United States Air Force Academy (CO)
3. United States Military Academy at West Point (NY)

2024 Top Performers on Social Mobility: National Universities

1. California State University, Long Beach
2. California State University, Fullerton (tie)
2. California State University, Riverside (tie)
4. California State University, San Bernardino (tie)
4. University of California, Merced (tie)

2024 Top Performers on Social Mobility: National Liberal Arts Colleges

1. Lake Forest College (IL)
2. Agnes Scott College (GA) (tie)
2. Salem College (NC) (tie)
2. Spelman College (GA)