UCI has been ranked in the nation’s top 10 public universities for five years in a row by U.S. News & World Report. For 2020, it was 36th among all American universities and third in the subcategory of social mobility. Steve Zylius / UCI

Irvine, Calif., Sept. 9, 2019 — The University of California, Irvine has been ranked the nation’s ninth-best public university in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 list of “Best Colleges,” released today. This is the fifth consecutive year in which UCI has placed in the top 10.

UCI was 36th among all American universities – public and private – and third in the subcategory of social mobility, which takes into account the graduation rates of students awarded Pell Grants.

Begun in 1983, the annual U.S. News report is one of the most influential in the country, with ratings derived from 15 diverse indicators of academic quality. Evaluators considered 1,922 institutions for the 2020 list.

“We are thrilled that once again we are ranked in the top 10 in the nation among public universities by U.S. News & World Report,” said Chancellor Howard Gillman. “And being No. 3 overall for social mobility validates our intentional agenda to promote the American dream by being an engine of upward mobility through higher education.”

Available online at www.usnews.com/colleges, these results come on the heels of Money magazine proclaiming UCI the No. 1 college in the country for 2019-20 – the first time a public institution has claimed the top spot – and UCI being No. 1 in the nation and second overall in Sierra magazine’s 2019 “Cool Schools” ranking of sustainability leaders in U.S. and Canadian higher education. Earlier this year, Forbes named UCI No. 1 among America’s public universities for best value, based on tuition costs, school quality, graduation rates and postgrad earnings.

And twice in a row, UCI has topped The New York Times’ College Access Index of U.S. universities “doing the most for the American dream” for its commitment to upward mobility.

The U.S. News report also evaluated certain undergraduate programs. UCI jumped up four slots from last year to 39th in engineering and was rated 38th in business. Additionally, it was ranked the nation’s 15th-best college for veterans, 20th for the most international students and 52nd for campus ethnic diversity.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 222 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit wp.communications.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.