Irvine, Calif., Sept. 13, 2016 — U.S. News & World Report has ranked the University of California, Irvine ninth among public universities nationwide in its 2017 Best Colleges report, released today. The ranking is derived from 15 measures of academic excellence, weighted by relevance to high-quality education.

“To be in the top 10 once again is a fitting tribute to the outstanding work of our faculty, staff and students, who every day ensure that students of all backgrounds benefit from the very best research and teaching that American higher education has to offer,” said UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman. “This year, we are especially proud to be recognized for the work we do educating America’s veterans. It’s a privilege to serve those who have served this nation.”

Among all American universities – public and private – UCI ranked 39th. Evaluators considered 1,374 colleges and universities this year.

U.S. News & World Report categorizes universities by mission, based on factors developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and then applies weighted measurements of graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity and more. In addition, analyses by administrators at peer institutions are taken into account.

The report also rates programs and selected undergraduate majors. UCI climbed up the rankings in the following categories:

Best college for veterans: 23 rd

Best undergraduate business program: 32 nd

Best undergraduate engineering program: 44th

UCI also scored highly – 20th – among all national universities for the least amount of student debt at graduation.

Rankings are available online through Sept. 30 at www.usnews.com/education.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.