UC San Diego Ranked No. 1 Public University

SAN DIEGO, CA — An annual list of colleges and universities that serve the public interest ranked UC San Diego fourth in the United States, and rated it the No. 1 public school.

Published Monday, the 2016 Washington Monthly College Guide and Rankings include factors such as social mobility, research that prepares students for graduate school and community service.

UCSD ranked ninth in social mobility — educating students from low- income backgrounds who might be the first in their families to attend college, 13th in research and third in the number of faculty to win major awards.

"We are honored to be named the nation's number one public university for our contributions to the public good," said Chancellor Pradeep Khosla. "As one of the world's top research universities, UC San Diego is committed to educating next-generation leaders, spurring scientific discovery and economic growth, and providing college access and opportunity to a diverse population of students."

Stanford, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — all private schools — ranked one, two and three among national universities.

In a separate ranking, UCSD — which begins fall quarter classes Sept. 22 — was 13th in the West for "Bang for the Buck."

San Diego State University was 119th overall, but was 11th nationally for the percentage of federal work-study funds that were spent on community service.

Cal State San Marcos was 50th in the Bang for the Buck category. The University of San Diego, which begins the fall semester Wednesday, was 207th overall.

Click here to view the 2016 Washington Monthly College Guide and Rankings.

— City News Service

Photo by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications, used with permission