Cal Poly has been ranked the best overall master’s-level university in the West for the third consecutive year in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Colleges guidebook.

This is the 33rd straight year that Cal Poly has been ranked as the best public institution in the West for both public and private institutions.

The publication also marks the third year in a row that Cal Poly has been ranked above all 97 public and private institutions in the region, which includes California and 14 other western states.

“We appreciate U.S. News’ recognition of Cal Poly as one of the nation’s finest universities for more than a generation,” said Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong in a press release on Tuesday. “Our Learn by Doing ethos continues to create thousands of graduates each year who

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