Over the last several years, CSUDH has excelled in national rankings measuring social and economic mobility, access, and student outcomes. 2024 is no different, and the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report and Washington Monthly, among others, affirm the university’s commitment to uplifting students and helping them to ascend the economic ladder.
CSUDH placed 6th on Third Way’s 2024 Social Mobility Index, which measured how 1,205 four-year institutions enroll students from low-income backgrounds, graduate students into high-paying careers, and apply promotional messaging towards solving the U.S.’s social mobility problem.
Forbes also named CSUDH among “25 Colleges with the Highest Payoffs” for its excellent return on investment, factoring in the number of years it takes graduates to recoup the net cost of their education, as well as how many students take on debt to attend, and how much debt they have upon graduation. CSUDH was the only CSU featured on this list, which also included Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford.
U.S. News & World Report
For its 2024 rankings, U.S. News & World Report assessed nearly 1,500 institutions on measures such as student graduation rates, debt, social mobility, academic reputation, and faculty resources. Institution types are grouped into national universities, liberal arts colleges, regional colleges, or regional universities.
CSUDH’s highest rankings were 6th place for both Least Debt (West) and Economic Diversity (West), reflecting its accessibility for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds. It also rose to 14th from 17th place for Top Performers in Social Mobility (West), and earned spots within the top 50 of other categories, including 18th for Top Public Schools (West), 21st for Best Colleges for Veterans (West) and 35th in Best Regional Universities (West).
Washington Monthly
In contrast to some other organizations’ metrics, Washington Monthly‘s rankings emphasize the “public good” colleges and universities have on the country.
CSUDH ascended to 3rd place for Best Bang for the Buck (West), reflecting how well the campus helps non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.
Since last year, the university also rose two spots to 8th place among Master’s Universities, the magazine’s all-around category which measures social mobility, research, and promoting public service.
Finally, by measuring debt and post-graduation earnings, Washington Monthly named CSUDH’s nursing program 6th in the nation. The median debt of Toro nursing graduates stands at 16% of their earnings, and the median salary is $148,290 five years after graduation.