Cal State San Bernardino has been recognized as one of the top universities in the nation – at No. 3 – when it comes to enhancing the social mobility of its students, according to the America’s Best Colleges ranking by The Wall Street Journal, College Pulse and Statista.

The America’s Best Colleges ranking recognizes institutions that take in the highest proportion of students coming from lower-income families, while maintaining high graduation rates, having a positive impact on graduate salaries and minimizing the costs of attending college.

“Being ranked No. 3 in the nation for social mobility speaks to our commitment to providing life-changing opportunities for students from diverse economic backgrounds. It reflects the hard work of our students, faculty and staff in fostering an environment that promotes academic achievement and career success,” said Tomás D. Morales, president of CSUSB. “Our strong standings across the board, from student experience to best value, underscore CSUSB’s dedication to delivering a top-tier, affordable education that equips our students for future success.”

California’s public universities are well-represented in the Social Mobility rankings: the University of California, Merced was placed at No. 1, followed by Cal State Stanislaus at No. 2, CSUSB at No. 3, Fresno State at No. 4 and Cal State Los Angeles at No. 5. Also rounding out the top 10 were Cal State Long Beach (No. 7), Cal State Northridge (No. 9) and Cal Poly Pomona (No. 10).

In addition, CSUSB was one of 25 new institutions to make the ranking’s Best Colleges this year. With 500 institutions on the list, the newspaper placed CSUSB at No. 46. At the top of the Best Colleges list was Princeton University, followed by Babson College at No. 2. San José State was the top California State University campus on the list, at No. 16.

CSUSB was listed at No. 27 in the Student Experience category, which was based on “one of the largest ever independent surveys of verified college students and recent graduates in the U.S.” and compiled by College Pulse and Statista. This category had students commenting on college facilities, community and social life, and diversity. Fresno State was the highest ranked CSU in this category, listed at No. 15.

Students make their way to and from the John M. Pfau Library with the CSUSB letters in the background. The Wall Street Journal’s 2025 rankings listed the university at No. 27 in its Student Experience category.
Students make their way to and from the John M. Pfau Library with the CSUSB letters in the background. The Wall Street Journal’s 2025 rankings listed the university at No. 27 in its Student Experience category

In the Best Value category, the newspaper placed CSUSB at No. 34. This category ranked institutions “in order of how quickly the difference between their graduates’ salaries and those of comparable high-school graduates pays back the average net price of four years of study – what we call ‘Years to pay off net price.’” CSU campuses were also included in the top 20: Stanislaus (No. 10), Los Angeles (No. 14), Fresno (No. 16) and Fullerton (No. 17).

Also as part of the ranking, CSUSB was placed at No. 107 in the Best Salaries list, which measures schools based on their impact on graduates’ salaries in relation to the cost of attendance. This ranking assesses how much a college increases graduates’ earnings compared to what they would likely earn without attending that particular institution. It also factors in the time needed to pay off the net cost, which considers the average net price of attendance and the added value to median graduate salaries attributed to the college. Among California State University schools, San José State ranked the highest, coming in at No. 17.