Rankings continue to affirm Fresno Pacific University's commitment to student success

Helping students flourish after graduation and spreading the benefits of Christian higher education to their communities are long-held goals at Fresno Pacific University-goals that received affirmation in 2024-2025 national rankings of colleges and universities.

FPU is first in the nation among private schools in enhancing students' social mobility, according to The Wall Street Journal. Washington Monthly also named the university first in the U.S. Western Region among Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) members as Best Bang for the Buck.

"We often say our students' success is our success," said Andre Stephens, Ph.D., president of FPU. "They in turn help build their communities and the Valley."

Social mobility examines how students prosper after completing their degree and the effect their school has on their lives and careers. The category rewards schools "that accept a high proportion of students from lower-income families, maintaining high graduation rates and minimize the costs of attending," according to The Journal's rankings report. Best Bang for the Buck is a measure of overall value for Washington Monthly.

The Wall Street Journal

This year FPU is number 141 overall out of 500 schools rated nationally-100 more schools than The Journal ranked in 2023. Fresno Pacific is number 14 for social mobility (making it the highest-rated private school in the nation in this category), along with number 55 in salary impact and number 72 in student experience. In last year's rankings, FPU was number 78 nationally overall of 400 schools rated, number 4 in social mobility, number 128 in salary impact and number 42 in student experience.

WSJ revamped its system in 2023 to put student outcomes ahead of institutional wealth and national reputation, instead highlighting "the value a school provides to its students," according to its website. Subcategories are:

• Social Mobility- schools that enhance students' social mobility, rewarding those that accept a high proportion students from lower-income families, maintaining high graduation rates and minimizing costs of attending.
• Student Experience-colleges where students have the best experience according to surveys of students and graduates.
• Salary Impact-rated by impact on graduates' salaries and how this relates to the actual cost of attending vs. list price.

Washington Monthly

In 2024, FPU ranked number 72 nationally in Washington Monthly's Master's University category, number 19 for social mobility and number 20 in Best Bang for the Buck-West (the highest CCCU in the West for this category). For 2023, FPU was number 48 overall nationally among master's universities and number 18 in the West for Best Bang for the Buck-West (which included social mobility).

Washington Monthly ranked 600 schools nationally from 1,565 colleges in the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Criteria were divided equally between social mobility, research and community and national service. The Best Bang for the Buck list uses social mobility to rank schools that "help non-wealthy students obtain marketable degrees at affordable prices," according to its college guide website.

Money

FPU maintained its Money rating of 4.5 stars out of a possible 5, putting it at the same level as 2023. The financial website also reorganized its rankings in 2023, substituting a range of stars for a numerical list. "The new rating system is based on the philosophy that there is not one, singular best college for every student. Instead, there's a variety of outstanding, high-value colleges across the country," the company's website states.

Money ranks more than 700 four-year public and private nonprofit colleges and universities from among 2,400 schools in the country in three categories:

• Quality of education-including graduation rates, instructor access and outcomes for Pell Grant recipients.
• Affordability-including net price of a degree, net price paid by students in different income brackets, debt and ability to repay debt.
• Outcomes-including earnings 10 years after college entry, graduate earnings adjusted for major, economic mobility and return on investment.

U.S. News & World Report

In this year's list, U.S. News rated FPU number 47 overall in its Master's Degree-West category, number 19 in the category among best values, number 21 in social mobility and number 35 in best college for veterans, a new classification for the university. Rankings released in 2023 put the university at number 41 overall, number 12 in best value number 12 and number 4 in social mobility.

U.S. News includes about 120 schools in Master's Degree-West. FPU is frequently in the top five in social mobility. "Economically disadvantaged students are less likely than others to finish college, even when controlling for other characteristics. But some colleges are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants," states the U.S. News College Guide website. Pell Grants are the yardstick because recipients typically come from households earning less than $50,000 per year, though the family income for most Pell Grant recipients is under $40,000.

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