UC Riverside is the No. 27 public university in a 2025-26 college ranking from Forbes magazine.

The campus gained 10 places among public universities since last year in the Forbes America’s Top Colleges list. UCR is No. 77 overall among public and private universities, an improvement of 20 spots from last year.

The magazine evaluated schools using data from two federal education databases: the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and College Scorecard. The latter used last year’s numbers as the U.S. Department of Education did not update College Scoreboard in time for the new rankings list. Data was also used from the Seattle-based software and data company Payscale, which tracks graduates’ earnings; the public policy think tank Third Way; the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics; and various Forbes lists.

Twenty percent of a university’s score is based on its graduates’ salaries; 15% on graduates’ debt; 15% on graduation rate; 15% on return on investment, which gauges cost-vs.-earnings compared to high school graduates; 10% on student retention; 10% on academic success, and 15% on inclusion in Forbes various prestige lists, including Forbes 30 Under 30; Forbes 400; Richest Self-Made Women and Most Powerful Women, as well as other leadership and entrepreneurial achievements.

The Forbes list is the latest college ranking where UCR has done well. It was ranked No. 33 in the Princeton Review’s Top 50 Best Value Colleges among public schools and was in the top 1.3% of universities worldwide in the 2025 Center for University Rankings.