Best in the West for 33rd Straight Year
Cal Poly was also best overall master’s-level university in the West for both public and private institutions for the third year in a row.
Cal Poly is the best overall master’s-level university in the West for both public and private institutions for the third consecutive year in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Colleges guidebook.
This is the 33rd straight year Cal Poly is ranked best public institution in the West and the third year running it has been ranked tops among all 97 public and private institutions in the region, which includes California and 14 other western states.
Meanwhile, the rankings place the former Cal Maritime Academy in Vallejo as best public college in the West and second among private and public colleges reviewed. The academy is in the process of integrating with Cal Poly and is now called the Cal Poly Maritime Academy (located on the Cal Poly Solano Campus). (The “best college” ranking delineates primarily undergraduate institutions that grant fewer than half of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines.)
“We appreciate U.S. News’ recognition of Cal Poly as one of the nation’s finest universities for more than a generation,” said Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong. “Our Learn by Doing ethos continues to create thousands of graduates each year who make a difference in their respective industries and occupations.
Cal Poly also was again named No. 1 in the West for Most Innovative Schools; several College of Engineering programs were rated among the top five for masters-level educational institutions; and the university for the sixth straight year is the top school in the West for veterans among public and private institutions that participate in federal initiatives helping veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees.
Cal Maritime Academy was ranked best public college in the West and second among the 97 ranked Western private and public schools.
The Western regional rankings include public and private institutions in 15 states that provide “a full range of undergraduate and master’s-level programs but few doctoral programs.” (Universities that grant doctoral degrees, such as those in the University of California system, are listed in a separate category.)