USD Ranked Among Top 50 ‘Best Colleges in the U.S.’ by Wall Street Journal

The University of San Diego (USD) is one of the top 50 best colleges in the country, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

USD was ranked 47th in the WSJ/College Pulse 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S., an annual ranking that rates the top 500 universities in the country. The list, released this week, was developed and executed in collaboration with WSJ research partners College Pulse and Statista.

The study ranks undergraduate institutions by the value they provide to their students. The value is assessed based on the learning environment, years to pay off the net price, degree completion rates, the likelihood of higher salaries post-graduation and diversity. 

The results are derived from official data from the U.S. Department of Education and the Census Bureau, along with a nationwide survey of undergraduate students and recent alumni who graduated within the past five years. 

Half of the colleges within the top 50 are new to the list — including USD — and include both public and private universities. Ultimately, they are schools that “serve their students especially well and leave them broadly satisfied with their college experience.” 

Roughly 110,000 undergraduates and recent undergraduate alumni were anonymously served for the study, one of the largest independent surveys of verified college students in the country. The survey covered topics like career preparation, learning opportunities, and campus life. The ranking combines students’ experience in a learning environment with an exhaustive analysis of student outcomes.

Along with USD, four other universities in San Diego County made the 2025 rankings list:

• University of California, San Diego: #30
• California State University, San Marcos: #97
• San Diego State University: #163
• Point Loma Nazarene University: #387 

Princeton University took first place for the second year in a row. 

— USD News Center