California State University, Los Angeles has been ranked no. 7 overall in the top master’s universities category in this year’s Washington Monthly College Guide’s rankings. The University jumped a significant 11 places from last year’s ranking of no. 18.
The rankings are based on social mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and Ph.D.s), and service (encouraging students to give something back to their country).
Cal State L.A. has also moved up two notches from last year to no. 4 nationally, specifically in the category of social mobility, which is tied in part to how a university exceeds a predicted graduation rate based on the socioeconomic status of the student population.
Examples of Cal State L.A.’s strengths in each category
Social mobility: Providing a top-tier academic, social and educational experience at an affordable price, Cal State L.A. has one of the lowest fees in the country. Additionally, private scholarships, grants, work-study programs, and need-based loans are available for students. In 2012-13, the University awarded more than $53 million in Pell grants to 12,749 students
Research: Cal State L.A. offers numerous student enrichment and development programs, which include opportunities for research participation under the direction of training faculty. These programs have received major support from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Institute of Justice, National Endowment for the Arts, and NASA, among others.
Service: From state legislators and innovative classroom teachers, to muralists, leading engineers, CEOs, and highly regarded healthcare providers, Cal State L.A. alumni are a guiding force in the direction of their communities and industries of work. Nearly $2 billion of the earnings by alumni from Cal State L.A. are attributable to their CSU degrees, which create an additional $3.2 billion of industry activity throughout the state.