Six-year graduation rates factor into the Money magazine college ratings formula. UCR’s six-year graduation rate for Pell Grant students is 73 percent – 24 percentage points higher than the national average.

UC Riverside has again placed among Money magazine’s Top 50 Colleges in the U.S.

UCR ranks No. 32 out of 727 colleges across the United States in the 2018 ranking, released Aug. 13. It joins six other University of California campuses, with UC San Diego, UC Irvine, and UCLA claiming the No. 2, 3, and 4 rankings, respectively. Princeton University ranked No. 1 for 2018.

“UCR increasingly finds itself sharing space with hallowed company in college rankings,” said UCR Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox.  “We appreciate the rankings formulas, such as Money magazine’s, that reward the universities providing a roadmap for the next generation of higher education.”

In its annual rankings, Money affords weight to six-year graduation rates; number of Pell Grant (low-income) students; affordability; and alumni salary information.

These variables distinguish Money’s formula from those of publications such as U.S. News & World Report, which places heavy emphasis on factors including exclusivity and alumni giving. Rankings methodologies such as those used by Money and Washington Monthly consider areas in which UCR is strong, including graduation rates among low-income, first-generation, and under-represented groups.

UCR’s six-year graduation rate for Pell Grant graduates most recently registered 73 percent — 24 percentage points higher than the national average. More than 50 percent of UCR’s students are Pell Grant recipients.

In 2016, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities honored UCR with the prestigious “Project Degree Completion Award” for innovation in improving student success. The Education Trust, based in Washington, D.C., has recognized UCR as among the best in the U.S. in terms of graduation success for Latino and black students.

In 2017, Money ranked UCR No. 29 among 711 colleges. Also in 2017, Washington Monthly ranked UCR No. 21, and No. 12 among public universities; from 2013-15, UCR ranked No. 2 in the Washington Monthly poll. The 2018 Washington Monthly rankings, which recognize schools based on recruiting and graduating low-income students; research; and service to community, are set for release later this month.