UCLA comes out as top public university in the nation in annual rankings

A West Los Angeles university finds itself again at the top of the 2025 "Best Colleges" list, with nearly one-third of its undergraduates being first-generation students.

This is the eighth year UCLA has earned the No.1 spot on the U.S. News & World Report's list, where the rankings are based on 17 measures of academic quality, including graduation and retention rates, class size, and the average federal loan debt of graduates. The school's academic reputation, as assessed by other chancellors, is also factored into the ranking.

The campus ranks highest in social mobility among the nation's top 25 universities. This is a look at the academic success of diverse students, particularly first-generation students and those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

At UCLA, these students graduate at rates comparable to the campus's overall graduation rate exceeding 90%. A majority of students complete their education without debt.

The rankings also highlighted research conducted by UCLA faculty members, 40 of whom were recently named among the most influential researchers in the world in their fields.

The university has also been named the No.1 public university for veterans. Approximately 400 veterans and active-duty service members and 600 of their spouses and dependents are enrolled at UCLA, where more than 100 programs and initiatives serve them.

As part of the U.S. News rankings, universities were also rated across several academic programs. UCLA ranked in the top 10 among public universities for its undergraduate programs in psychology, economics, computer science, engineering, teaching and nursing.