Cal Poly Pomona Scores 5-Star Money Magazine's 2025 Best Colleges List
For the second year in a row, Cal Poly Pomona has earned the highest rating — — in Money Magazine’s “” list, placing it among only 40 institutions nationwide to achieve the publication’s highest honor.
The 2025 rankings are based on an evaluation of more than 700 four-year colleges, focusing on educational quality, affordability and alumni outcomes. The methodology considers graduation rates, net price after financial aid, early career earnings and, more recently, economic mobility — the extent to which education helps low-income students achieve higher earnings. Cal Poly Pomona has been a long-time standout, even before this new measure was introduced.
Typical early career earnings for Cal Poly Pomona alumni average $71,900. Two years after graduation, alumni have one of the highest median salaries among Southern California public universities. The university’s diverse student body and commitment to equitable educational pathways contribute to these strong outcomes. Fifty-five percent of students are the first in their families to attend college, and many come from historically underrepresented backgrounds, reflecting the university’s mission to support upward mobility for all.
Money Magazine also praised Cal Poly Pomona in two other lists it released this year: “” and “.”
Contributing to Cal Poly Pomona student and alumni success is its “learn-by-doing” philosophy, which integrates hands-on learning across all disciplines. The university is home to nationally recognized programs in engineering, business administration, hospitality management, agriculture and apparel merchandising. The College of Engineering is one of the largest in the nation, while The Collins College of Hospitality Management is ranked among the best in the world.
The university was also designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in 2005 by the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency for producing cybersecurity professionals, a distinction it continues to hold.
Beyond academics, Cal Poly Pomona offers “unexpected opportunities” for immersive learning — like assisting with brewery-restaurant operations at Innovation Brew Works; constructing ; building a formula-style race car through ; and practicing animal management skills and care through programs in the College of Agriculture.
Saurabh Parate, who is pursuing a master’s in digital marketing and analytics, was already a working professional when he chose Cal Poly Pomona to advance his skills and prepare for his long-term career goals — either launching his own agency or stepping into a leadership role within the industry.
“The most valuable experience I’ve had is learning how to effectively integrate digital marketing strategies with rigorous data analytics to drive real-world business outcomes,” Parate said. “I knew I needed a program that could help me build on my skills — Cal Poly Pomona stood out for its affordability, strong curriculum and proximity to L.A., a major business hub.”
Chaitanya Nalage applies his professional experience in software development and data engineering as he pursues his graduate studies in computer science. Hired by the university’s IT department after a four-month internship, he also served as a member of the organizing committee for the 2025 Hackathon and AI Fair, and in 2024 was named a Community-Care and Wellness Fellow in the 2024 Afrofuturism & C3W Showcase hosted by the College of Education and Integrative Studies. He is currently an enterprise resource planning intern at Pacsun’s Anaheim office.
“Pursuing my master’s in computer science at Cal Poly Pomona has been a transformative step,” Nalage said. “The university’s strong focus on applied learning has allowed me to work as a software developer on campus, where I’ve applied my skills to real-world projects that enhance 六色网’s digital infrastructure. This blend of academic rigor and hands-on experience is exactly what I was looking for to advance my career in building impactful, scalable technology.”