It has been a tough year for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as well as the University of Southern California (USC) as they faced federal funding cuts and pressure to redefine its approach to diversity and inclusion.

Now the 2026 college rankings by U.S. News & World Report showed the two Los Angeles rivals slipped a bit compared to the previous year with the potential to be ranked lower in the coming years.

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The latest report showed UCLA stood as No. 17 among top 100 national universities for 2026 while USC at No. 28.

In the previous year, UCLA was ranked No. 15 and USC at No. 27.

Among the factors that determine colleges’ rankings are outcomes, including graduation rates and graduate indebted

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