When put to the test, Cal Poly Pomona once again has ranked among the best in the nation. The Center on Higher Education Reform (CHEC) at the American Enterprise Institute released a report assessing 1,700 four-year colleges on their effectiveness in delivering access, affordability and student success. Cal Poly Pomona was one of only 19 named as effective on all three criteria.

It is very difficult for universities to deliver access, affordability and student success. For instance, colleges with more low-income students usually have lower graduation rates, but colleges with high graduation rates and high tuition often aren't accessible for low-income students.

"Academic quality and celebration of diversity are two of our core values. This ranking validates Cal Poly Pomona's commitment to access, affordability and student success," Provost Marten denBoer says. "Access to quality higher education is vital to our society's justice and advancement. As a university we are well positioned to make a positive impact."

The CHEC study was done in anticipation of the plan President Obama announced last August to make college more affordable for the middle class. The plan would change the way federal aid is distributed to colleges, providing more to those with better all-around performance than those lacking in some areas.

The CHEC study looked at six-year graduation rates of first-time students, socioeconomic diversity and net in-state tuition. Authors Andrew Kelly and Awilda Rodriguez noted how difficult it is to manage all three areas, making the listed schools more impressive.

"The lack of exemplars shows just how rare this kind of well-rounded success is in American higher education," they wrote in the study.

The top school on the list of 19 universities judged effective on all three criteria was Dewey University in Puerto Rico. Three other CSUs made the list: San Diego, Long Beach and Fullerton.