UC San Diego Named Among Top 10 Public Universities in US by Center for World University Rankings

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The University of California San Diego is once again ranked one of the top 10 public universities in the country, according to the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR). In the annual rankings published today, the campus placed No. 8 among public U.S. universities and No. 22 among all universities nationwide.

The 2022-23 edition of the “Global 2000 List by the Center for World University Rankings” evaluated nearly 20,000 universities from around the world. The publication uses seven indicators grouped into four areas to rank each institution: quality of education, alumni employment, quality of faculty and research performance.

Overall, UC San Diego was named 34th worldwide on the annual list. The university earned high marks for its faculty rank (13th) and research rank (19th). Some factors that contributed to UC San Diego’s strong showing include the number of research articles in high-quality publications as well as the number of faculty who have won major academic distinctions.

“As a leader among the world’s research universities, our talented faculty and scholars are consistently driving forward innovation and conducting breakthrough research in fields ranging from engineering to the arts,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “At UC San Diego, students have the opportunity to learn from world-renowned industry leaders as they gain the skills and knowledge to create lasting impact on and off campus.”

As experienced mentors and sought-after experts in their fields, UC San Diego’s scholarly community ranges from Nobel laureates and Pulitzer winners to MacArthur Fellows. This March, two UC San Diego bioengineers were inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). Professors Stephanie Fraley and Prashant Mali are among the newest members of the prestigious biomedical institution, which is comprised of the top 2 percent of medical and biological engineers in the country. Earlier this year, six university leaders and researchers were elected Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): Dr. Gary Firestein, Olivia Graeve, Michael Kalichman, Y. Shirley Meng, Dr. Victor Nizet and Brian Palenik.

Recognized for producing powerful research, UC San Diego is at the forefront of understanding the world’s most critical issues. Researchers at the UC San Diego School of Medicine recently reported that pod-based e-cigarettes alter the inflammatory state of the brain, heart, lungs and colon. The researchers also found that the effects varied depending on the e-cigarette flavor. Further, according to new findings from UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management, women may self-select out of STEM fields partly as a result of receiving more early-childhood reinforcement in language arts. This research may explain the STEM gender gaps in adults.

Through critical work on the front lines and in the research lab, the university has also solidified its role as a leader in the fight against COVID-19. The campus is currently conducting what is believed to be the largest research study yet of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. And, this April, UC San Diego announced that it has joined a national trial to evaluate various additional COVID-19 booster shots

Alongside this latest ranking from CWUR, UC San Diego continues to make waves in national and global rankings. U.S. News and World Report recently named nine of UC San Diego’s graduate programs among the top 10 in the nation as part of its 2023 Best Graduate Schools ranking. Last fall, UC San Diego also placed sixth among the nation’s top public colleges in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 Best Global Universities.

To review the entire CWUR ranking list, visit the organization’s website. For a listing of UC San Diego rankings and accolades, visit the Campus Profile.