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Cal State Long Beach has ranked No. 3 among national universities for “Top Performers on Social Mobility,” according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Colleges rankings, released today.

The , which are part of U.S. News’ varied outcomes measures, assess graduation rates and performance of Pell Grant-awarded students. The publication examined graduation rates of Pell Grant students over a four-year rolling average – from the entering classes of fall 2015 through fall 2018. The higher a university’s Pell graduation rate relative to its non-Pell graduation rate, the better the scores.

Of the more than 35,000 enrolled undergraduate Beach students in fall 2024, more than 49.5% received Pell Grants, according to campus data and the .  

The rankings underscore ������’s stature as a top educational institution that promotes social mobility and achievement.

The latest U.S. News & World Report ranking is similar to last year’s list, where ������ also ranked .

Last month, Cal State Long Beach ranked No. 9 in Washington Monthly’s “Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars” list. ������ also ranked No. 4 in Washington Monthly’s jumping from No. 15 in last year’s assessment.  

The Beach has a proven track record of advancing socioeconomic opportunity for all students, as seen by consistent top 5 showings in rankings that measure social mobility impact.

Washington Monthly has recognized The Beach as one of the , and Money has ranked ������ as one of the “Best Colleges in America,” giving The Beach 5 out of 5 stars for two years running, including this year.