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Accolades
2019
U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges rankings
- No. 1 in the nation for student outcomes
- No. 1 in the nation for outperforming expected graduation rates
- No. 7 in the nation for social mobility
- No. 13 among public universities for Best Undergraduate Teaching
- No. 44 in Top Public Schools and No. 104 in National Universities
- No. 11 among public universities and No. 1 in the UC for student participation in undergraduate research and creative projects
- No. 27 among public universities for alumni giving rate
AASHE Sustainable Campus Index
- No. 1 in the nation for sustainable buildings
- Tied for No. 1 in the nation for sustainable research
- Tied for No. 5 in nation for sustainability investment and finance
- No. 10 in the nation in sustainable waste operations
- No. 6 overall among doctoral institutions
Sierra Club's Cool Schools
- No. 6 in the nation for sustainability
Washington Monthly College Guide
- No. 8 in the nation for performance of sudents who receive Pell Grants
- No. 8 in the nation for performance of first-generation students
The Princeton Review's Best 385 Colleges 2020 edition
- Selected to "Best Western" and "Green Colleges" lists
- Maximum score of 99 for Green Rating
Times Higher Education Young University rankings
- Debuted at No. 60 in the world
- Tied for No. 4 among U.S. universities
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Grad Schools
- School of Engineering ranks No. 134
- Computer Engineering debuts at No. 105 in the nation
- Mechanical Engineering is No. 121 in the nation
2018
Education Dive's Dive Awards
- Named University of the Year (honors the industry’s top disruptors and innovators)
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings
- No. 2 in the nation for outperforming graduation rate expectations
- No. 15 in the nation for social mobility
- No. 17 among public universities for best undergraduate teaching
- No. 67 in top public schools
- No. 136 in national univeristies
- No. 44 among public universities for alumni giving rate
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Grad Schools
- Chemistry debuts at No. 122 in the nation
- Mathematics debuts at No. 144 in the nation
- Physics debuts at No. 146 in the nation
- Biology debuts at No. 175 in the nation
- School of Engineering ranks No. 132 in its third appearance on the list
- No. 76 in the nation in Environmental Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering debuts at No. 126 in the nation
Washington Monthly College Guide
- No. 7 in the nation for performance of sudents who receive Pell Grants
- No. 13 in the nation for performance of first-generation students
- No. 14 in the nation for social mobility
2017
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings
- No. 1 public university for financial aid given to first-year students
- No. 11 in the nation for outperforming graduation rate expectations
- No. 15 public university for least debt upon graduation
- No. 87 in the nation among public schools and No. 165 overall
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Grad Schools
- No. 70 in the nation in Environmental Engineering
- School of Engineering rises to No. 127 overall
- No. 90 in the nation in Psychology
Washington Monthly College Guide
- No. 3 for graduation rate of Pell Grant recipients
- No. 5 for social mobility
- No. 10 for graduation rate of first-generation students
- No. 22 for earnings performance among graduates
Sierra Club’s Cool Schools
- No. 50 in the nation for sustainability
Thomson Reuters Project Finance International Awards
- Americas P3 Deal of the Year (for the Merced 2020 Project)
College Raptor
- No. 12 among Hispanic-Serving Institutions
2016
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings
- No. 8 in the nation for outperforming graduation rate expectations
- Debuted at No. 78 in the nation among public schools and No. 152 overall
Washington Monthly College Guide
- No. 5 in the nation for social mobility
- No. 8 in Best Bang for the Buck: Western Colleges
- No. 41 among all universities in the nation
Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
- Received R2 designation, the second-highest for American research institutions
Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges
- Appeared for the second consecutive year, scoring 93 out of 99 possible points
Sierra Club’s Cool Schools
- Fourth appearance in five years on the sustainability rankings
Niche College Rankings
- No. 15 in the state for best professors
- No. 17 in the state for safest campus
- No. 84 in the nation for best dorms
GoodCall Best Schools for Scholarships Report
- No. 8 out of 4,000 colleges for scholarships received
Educate to Career
- No. 12 in the nation for workforce preparedness, employability and income
2015
Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement
- Campus recognized for institutional commitment to community engagement
U.S. News & World Report
- Engineering and Psychological Sciences ranked among best graduate programs
Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges
- First appearance in sustainability rankings
Sierra Club’s Cool Schools
- Ranked No. 51 for sustainability
Educate to Career
- No. 16 in the nation for workforce preparedness, employability and income
BestColleges.com
- Ranked among top 50 most diverse campuses in the U.S.
Best Value Schools
- No. 38 for best value among California colleges and universities