Central OC Times

The University of California, Irvine has been ranked ninth among the nation’s public universities and 33rd overall on U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-25 list of “Best Colleges.” This marks the 10th consecutive year that UC Irvine has placed in the top 10.

The rankings assess bachelor’s degree-granting institutions on more than a dozen measures of academic quality. UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman commented, “We are all very pleased that U.S. News & World Report has once again recognized the distinguished excellence of our teaching, research and public service. Being in the top 10 is especially gratifying in light of our commitment to inclusive excellence and educating our state’s best and most talented students regardless of their financial circumstances.”

UC Irvine's overall ranking of 33rd matches its highest placement from previous years in 2019 and last year. Additionally, UC Irvine ranked No. 9 in social mobility, which evaluates institutions that enroll and graduate large proportions of students awarded federal Pell Grants.

In terms of support for military veterans, UC Irvine was ranked 16th nationally as a best college for veterans.

Other accolades for UC Irvine include being recognized as the fifth-best-value public university by The Princeton Review and receiving five stars from Money magazine. Forbes ranked it 10th among public universities and 39th overall, while The Wall Street Journal placed it at 31st overall nationwide and 13th among public universities. Niche celebrated it as the top Hispanic-Serving Institution in the country, eighth-best public university overall, and fourth-best college campus in America.

The Brilliant Future campaign aims to raise awareness and support for UC Irvine by engaging alumni and garnering $2 billion in philanthropic investment to enhance student success, health and wellness, research, among other areas.

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the Association of American Universities with over 36,000 students enrolled across its various programs. It contributes significantly to both local ($7 billion) and statewide ($8 billion) economies.

For further information about UC Irvine or media access details for interviews with faculty experts using an on-campus studio equipped with Comrex IP audio codec, visit www.uci.edu or news.uci.edu.