Cal Poly Pomona students pose by the mural.
About Cal Poly Pomona

Well Ranked

A Portrait of Success

When it comes to quality education, affordability and career prospects for graduates, Cal Poly Pomona consistently ranks among the best universities in the country. Each ranking category is a snapshot of achievement, but taken collectively, these snapshots provide a picture of a diverse, learn-by-doing university whose students graduate with the skills needed to succeed in a dynamic, evolving work environment.

University

  • Cal Poly Pomona is No. 2 among the “Top Public Schools in the West” in the in the U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best Colleges Ranking (based on 15 measures of academic quality). It also ranked No. 3 among all "Regional Universities West,"  a region that covers 15 states.
    • No. 2 "Best Colleges for Veterans" – Regional Universities West
    • No. 4 in Social Mobility - Regional Universities West

  • Cal Poly Pomona is recognized as the top polytechnic university and No. 11 overall in The Wall Street Journal's WSJ/College Pulse "2024 Best U.S. Colleges for Social Mobility" rankings. 

  • In the 2023 U.S. News & World Report rankings, the university was recognized as a leader in the West region of 115 schools in the following categories:
  • Money Magazine recognized Cal Poly Pomona as one of the “Best Colleges in America 2023”, receiving 4.5 out of 5 stars, based on quality of education, affordability and student outcomes. The 2023 ranking also highlighted the university’s graduation rate of 76 percent, which is “nearly 16% higher than expected based on schools with comparable student demographics, according to Money’s analysis… Students go on to post median early-career salaries of $67,000.”

  • Washington Monthly ranked Cal Poly Pomona as the top polytechnic university and No. 14 overall in the West in its "2023 Best Bang for the Buck Colleges" rankings.

  • Cal Poly Pomona was recognized by CollegeNET as the highest ranking polytechnic university and No. 3 overall in the nation on the “2023 Social Mobility Index” for propelling low-income students to financial success by graduating them into good paying careers.  

  • Cal Poly Pomona is the nation’s top polytechnic university, according to Third Way's 2023 Economic Mobility Index rankings.

  • Cal Poly Pomona is No. 28 nationally and among the Top 5 in the California State University system in Money Magazine's list of "Best Colleges in America, Ranked by Value 2022," based on quality, affordability and alumni outcomes. The university is also in the Top 50 lists for "Best Public Colleges (No. 24) and "Best Colleges in the West" (No. 15).

  • Forbes' third annual America's Best Value College list ranks Cal Poly Pomona among the best in the nation for a student's return on investment. The university was No. 59 among the 300 schools that made the list.


Program Recognition

  • U.S News & World Report ranked the Cal Poly Pomona College of Engineering No. 9 among the nation’s “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs” where a doctorate was not offered in its 2024 rankings and No. 3 in the state. Several individual departments were also in the top 10:

    • No. 2 Computer Engineering
    • No. 3 Electrical/Electronic/Computer Engineering
    • No. 3 Mechanical Engineering
    • No. 4 Civil Engineering 
  • The Collins College of Hospitality Management is ranked No. 6  in CEO World Magazine’s 2024 “Best Hospitality and Hotel Management Schools In The World” list. The ranking was based on perceived global brand influence, recruiters responses, academic reputation, employer feedback, job placement rate, specialization and admissions eligibility.

  • Cal Poly Pomona's College of Business Administation was ranked No. 5 in California and No. 30 in the nation, according to Money Magazine's 2022 ranking of "Best Colleges for Business Majors." The list was based on value and average salaries for recent graduates.

  • The "Planetizen Guide to Urban Planning Programs" ranked the Department of Urban and Regional Planning graduate program in the College of Environmental Design among the nation's best. The program was No. 4 for largest percentage of minority represenation, No. 9 for programs without Ph.D. and for suburban program, and No. 14 among top small programs.

  • Cal Poly Pomona’s undergraduate landscape architecture program was ranked No. 11 in the nation by DesignIntelligence in their 2019-2020 list of America’s Top-Ranked Architecture and Design Schools among schools with more than 35 graduates. The graduate landscape architecture program was at No. 16. The program was No. 10 in the “top most hired from landscape architecture schools.” The undergraduate program made the top 10 in six of the report’s 12 focus areas, while the graduate program was recognized in four.

  • The 2019-2020 DesignIntelligence rankings list the Department of Architecture at No. 20 among the most admired undergraduate architecture programs in the U.S., No. 34 for top graduate programs and No.4 among the “top 20 most hired from architecture schools.” The department’s undergraduate focus areas made the top 10 in six of the report’s 12 focus areas, led by engineering materials which was ranked No. 5. The graduate programs also made the top 10 in five of the report’s 12 focus areas.

  • Cal Poly Pomona was ranked one of the “Best Colleges to Study Architecture in Los Angeles” by CEO World Magazine in August 2019.

  • Money Magazine named Cal Poly Pomona a “2018 Best College for Business Majors.” The university is No. 35 on the list based on estimated price with and without financial aid. The website TopManagementDegrees.com listed Cal Poly Pomona’s MBA program No. 50 among the nation’s “Most Affordable MBA programs,” on list of 50.


Diversity

  • The 2022 Diverse Issues in Higher Education “Top 100 Degrees Conferred” list ranked Cal Poly Pomona No. 20 in the nation for the most Bachelor degrees earned by minority students. The university was No. 13 for “Bachelor’s – All Disciplines Combined – Hispanic” students and No. 20 for “Bachelor’s – All Disciplines Combined, Asian American” students.

  • Cal Poly Pomona is No. 30 on the Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine “Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics 2022” listing for graduating the most Hispanic/Latino students and “ and preparing them in diverse fields of study,” based on 2020-21 data.

  • Cal Poly Pomona was ranked No. 47 “Best Business Schools for LGBTQ in 2021,” according to College Consensus. The university was one of only two CSU campuses recognized in the Top 50 list.

  • Cal Poly Pomona ranks in the top six nationally among universities in the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanic students in architecture, engineering and agriculture, and in the top 25 for total Hispanic student enrollment, according to the “Top 100 Schools for Hispanics 2019” rankings by Hispanic Outlook on Education.
    • No. 2 for the number of Hispanic students receiving a Bachelor’s degree in architecture and related degrees
    • No. 5 for those graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in engineering
    • No. 6 for those graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in agriculture and agricultural operations
    • No. 25 for total enrollment of Hispanic students in 2018-19

  • The American Indian Science and Engineering Society has named Cal Poly Pomona one of “the Top 200 Colleges for Indigenous Students” based on “the Native community and the support system, from admissions through graduation,” in its 2018-19 Special College issue of Winds of Change.


Environment

Last updated on 10/24/2022