UC Riverside was named among the top 25 public universities in a college rankings system from The Princeton Review .

The Princeton Review rankings are based on “return on investment,” or ROI, that factors low tuition and/or generous financial aid, combined with “strong career prospects for graduates.” 

"The schools we name as our Best Value Colleges for 2021 comprise only just over 1% of the nation’s four-year colleges,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. “They are distinctive in their programs, size, region, and type, yet they are similar in three areas: every school offers outstanding academics, generous financial aid and/or a relative low cost of attendance, and stellar career services.”

UCR has fared well in the leading college rankings for 2021. For the third consecutive year, UCR was named by U.S. News & World Report as the country’s top university for social mobility.

UCR also moved into the top 50 public universities in a college rankings system from The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, having climbed 184 positions in the WSJ/THE rankings in the past five years. Also this year, Washington Monthly magazine named UCR No. 1 in the nation for Pell Grant performance. UCR graduated the second-most Pell Grant students in the country, according to federal data from the most recent cohort considered.

The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University. The Princeton Review is a tutoring, test prep, and college admission services company.