Fresno State is ranked No. 6 in the nation among public and private universities for social mobility in the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2024 Best Colleges rankings published on Sept. 6.
The university is one of four California State University campuses in the top 10 for providing a high-quality education at an affordable price to create opportunities for students to move from one socioeconomic class to another. About 65% of Fresno State students are the first in their families to attend college.
Fresno State also ranked No. 15 for best student experience and No. 80 among the top 400 best universities overall in the country.
“This ranking shows the power of a Fresno State degree and the work that we do at the university to prepare our students to become emerging leaders,” said Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval. “Fresno State provides world-class comprehensive higher education and is fully dedicated to serving our region and the world. The Bulldog spirit runs deep through our students and alumni who become beacons of bright light – illuminating the economic and social landscape of our communities.”
The Wall Street Journal, with its research partners College Pulse and Statista, has published a college ranking since 2016. This year, the ranking was expanded to include the importance of student outcomes such as graduation rates and graduate salaries, putting more emphasis on measuring the value added by colleges and not just on wealth or reputation. The college scores are based on student outcomes, learning environment and diversity.
Fresno State is consistently ranked among the nation’s best for affordability, outcomes and social mobility. Last month, the university rose to No. 26 nationally in Washington Monthly’s 2023 annual list of top universities, and No. 13 in the Best Bang for the Buck: West category.
In June, Fresno State received a 4.5-star rating on a 5-star scale in Money’s new 2023 Best Colleges rating of the nation’s best colleges for quality and affordability.
