2 Northern California universities made U.S. News ‘Best Global’ list

To the surprise of perhaps no Californians, several California universities appeared in the top rankings of the world’s best universities in the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings released on June 16.

Of the more than 2,250 worldwide research institutions that U.S. News & World Report evaluated for this list, six California universities ranked in the top 50 globally, with an even split among Northern and Southern California institutions.

The 2026 list includes universities from more than 100 countries, with the following countries receiving the most schools in the overall rankings:

• China: 409
• United States: 275
• India: 123
• United Kingdom: 93
• Japan: 86

Did your California alma mater appear among the top global universities?

U.S. News and World Report methodology

When determining a university’s placement on the list, U.S. News & World Report considered factors more relevant to research-oriented institutions than to undergraduate-focused metrics like bachelor’s degree graduation rates.

It focused on aspects like academic institutions’ research and reputation, number of publications, the quality of publications and citations. It considers other factors, including location, campus culture, the strength of particular programs, and cost, which are also very important.

“For students seeking universities with strong academic excellence and global recognition, the Best Global Universities rankings offer an essential comparative resource,” said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor for Education at U.S. News.

“Our methodology focuses on a school’s research mission and scholarly impact, helping students identify institutions that are truly at the forefront of global knowledge creation.”

Out of the top 10 global universities, two California institutions made the list:

1. Harvard University
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
3. Stanford University
4. University of Oxford
5. University of Cambridge
6. Tsinghua University
7. University of California Berkeley
8. Yale University
9. University College London
10. Columbia University

How did California colleges rank in U.S. News and World Report’s Best Global Universities 2026 list?

Outside of the top 10 universities, California saw a handful of other institutions rank highly on U.S. News & World Report list.

Notably, the University of California – Los Angeles just missed the top 10 list, ultimately ranking as the 11th-best global university and the second-best public institution on the list. It was beaten out as the best public institution by its academic counterpart, the University of California, Berkeley, which was ranked the 7th-best global university.

Additionally, a number of University of California schools made the top of the list, ultimately reaffirming the quality of the institutions’ public campuses across the state.

“Research from the University of California is vital to work that benefits all Americans, from breakthroughs in the treatment of Parkinson’s to the science behind previously unimagined successes in fighting cancer and the development of quantum computers that will enable the critical advances of the 21st century,” the University of California said in a press release about its rankings.

Here’s the list of California universities that made the top 100 list:

• 3. Stanford University
• 7. University of California Berkeley
• 11. University of California – Los Angeles
• 22. University of California – San Francisco
• 23. (Tied) California Institute of Technology
• 23. (Tied) University of California – San Diego
• 74. University of Southern California
• 95. University of California – Davis
• 99. University of California – Irvine
• 100. University of California – Santa Barbara

Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at npadilla@usatodayco.com, follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Sign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow us on Facebook at TODAY Californian.