List of Cal Poly Pomona Presidents - Academics - Rankings

Rankings

For more details on college-specific rankings, see California State Polytechnic University, Pomona academics#Rankings.

University rankings
National
Forbes	301
Global
Regional
U.S. News & World Report	34
Master's University class
Washington Monthly	122

Cal Poly ranks 8th among public Western Colleges in U.S. News & World Report's 2013 edition of "Best Colleges", and 34th when the category includes both private and public universities. U.S. News & World Report also ranks Cal Poly as 4th in ethnic diversity, 8th in least student indebtedness at graduation, 8th in most international students, 6th in lowest acceptance rate, 4th in freshmen retention rate, and 10th in highest graduation rate for public Western colleges. The report also listed Cal Poly as 45th in economic diversity, and 59th awarding need-based aid for both private and public universities in the West. The university is recognized as the 10th most diverse campus among regional universities in the west by USN&WR.

In Forbes magazine 2012 list of "America's Best Colleges", Cal Poly was ranked number 301 among the 650 best public and private universities in the nation. In the 2012 "PayScale College Salary Report" conducted by PayScale of bachelor’s graduates without higher degrees, Cal Poly ranked 19th among public universities in the country with a starting median salary of $46,800 and a mid-career median salary of $93,000. This places Cal Poly the fourth highest in California and the second highest in the CSU, while besting every UC with the exception of Berkeley and San Diego.

Cal Poly's College of Business Administration was placed on USN&WR's "Best Business Schools" list in 2013. The university also is considered to have the 6th best Civil Engineering program in the country among schools whose highest degree is a master's, according to USN&WR.

In January 2013 Kiplinger ranked Cal Poly 89th out of the top 100 best-value public schools in the nation, and 11th in California. Furthermore, Cal Poly is considered one of the top investments for educational value, with a 2013 net 30-year return on investment (ROI) of $917,100 according to PayScale. This ROI is the third highest in the CSU and 113th highest of the 1,511 US colleges and universities that were ranked, besting most UC campuses.