2 San Diego Universities Earn Spots In Best Global Universities Rankings

SAN DIEGO, CA — Two San Diego universities earned spots in U.S. News & World Report's latest Best Global Universities rankings, with UC San Diego placing among the top 25 schools worldwide.

The 2026-27 rankings evaluated more than 2,250 institutions across more than 100 countries based on academic research and reputation in 51 subject areas.

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The University of California San Diego, located in La Jolla, tied for No. 23 globally, making it one of the highest-ranked universities in California and the world. San Diego State University also appeared on the list, tying for No. 932.

California had 26 universities represented in the rankings. Stanford University ranked No. 3 worldwide, while the University of California, Berkeley, came in at No. 7 and the University of California, Los Angeles, ranked No. 11.

"For students seeking universities with strong academic excellence and global recognition, the Best Global Universities rankings offer an essential comparative resource," LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, said in a news release. "Our methodology focuses on a school's research mission and scholarly impact, helping students identify institutions that are truly at the forefront of global knowledge creation."

The top 10 universities worldwide were:

1. Harvard University
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. Stanford University
4. University of Oxford
5. University of Cambridge
6. Tsinghua University
7. University of California Berkeley
8. Yale University
9. University College London
10. Columbia University

China topped the list with 409, followed by the United States with 275, India with 123, the United Kingdom with 93 and Japan with 86.