All 10 UC campuses are among the best universities in the world in research impact, with eight among the top 25 public universities in the United States, according to the just-released 2025-26 Best Global Universities ranking from U.S. News & World Report.
The Best Global Universities ranking, now in its 11th year, focuses on academic research and reputation as a way of assessing how universities compare globally in academic might. Four UC campuses (Berkeley, UCLA, San Francisco, and San Diego) were among the top 25 institutions in the world based on those research-related metrics; seven were among the top 100.
Among universities in the United States, eight UCs ranked in the top 50; and UC campuses fared even better among the nation’s public universities, claiming four of the five top spots: No. 1 (UC Berkeley), No. 3 (UCLA), No. 4 (UC San Francisco) and No. 5 (UC San Diego), with UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, UC Irvine and UC Santa Cruz also among the top 25.
U.S. News 2025-26 Best Global Universities rankings by campus
| Campus | U.S. (public) | U.S. (all) | Global (all) |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| UCLA | 3 | 8 | 13 |
| UC San Francisco | 4 | 11 | 16 |
| UC San Diego | 5 | 14 | 21 |
| UC Santa Barbara | 15 | 35 | 91 |
| UC Davis | 17* | 37* | 96* |
| UC Irvine | 17* | 37* | 96* |
| UC Santa Cruz | 24 | 47 | 133 |
| UC Riverside | 40 | 69 | 242 |
| UC Merced | 103 | 151 | 763 |
(*indicates a tie).
To develop the rankings, editors evaluated 2,250 top institutions from 105 countries, all of which published at least 1,250 peer-reviewed academic papers from 2019 to 2023. Schools were then scored on 13 research-related indicators, including global research reputation, regional research reputation, publications, books, conferences, citations, and more. (See the full methodology here).
China had the most ranked institutions, with 397; the United States was second, with 280. India (118), Japan (104) and the United Kingdom (93) rounded out the top five nations. (Not all of the 2,250 institutions included received a ranking or a score).
“The Best Global Universities rankings provide valuable benchmarks for students considering international study options or seeking institutions with a strong global research impact,” said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor for Education at U.S. News. “The rankings — one of many tools that U.S. News offers to assist with college decision-making — help students identify universities with worldwide recognition and cross-border academic excellence that can serve as a launching pad for their careers.”
The University of California consistently leads universities in the United States in undergraduate education, graduate research and the number of influential scientists among its faculty. It also ranks highly on assessments that measure social mobility and setting up students for future financial success, with alumni making an impact on the world at a young age. Visit universityofcalifornia.edu to learn more about how the University of California has a positive impact on lives around California and the nation.
Read more at UC Berkeley: UC Berkeley ranked nation’s top public university by U.S. News
