CPP Earns Top Polytechnic Honors in Wall Street Journal Rankings
Cal Poly Pomona is ranked No. 22 overall in the 2026 WSJ/College Pulse Best Colleges in the U.S. and No. 13 in Social Mobility — making it the highest-ranked polytechnic university in the nation in both categories. CPP was also noted No. 34 Best Value.
The WSJ/College Pulse rankings evaluated 584 eligible universities, prioritizing student outcomes, including salary gains, time to repay cost and graduation impacts, alongside learning environment and diversity.
The return on investment for CPP students is compelling: Graduates are projected to earn $260,000 more over 20 years compared to peers without degrees.
The university was also recently named the No. 2 Top Public School in the West in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings, where it also recognized CPP as No. 3 Regional Universities West — out of 115 universities evaluated in 15 states — and No. 3 Best College for Veterans.
CPP, where approximately 70 percent of students receive financial aid, is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best universities for social mobility — in other words, helping non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at an affordable cost. Washington Monthly ranked it No. 16 on its “Best Bang for the Buck” list, making CPP the highest-ranked polytechnic university among almost 200 universities evaluated. The university is also highly ranked by CollegeNET (No. 17) and Third Way (Tier 1).