Chico State Appears in a Pair of Forbes Rankings

Chico State ends August with yet more accolades to celebrate.

In Forbes’ annual “America’s Top Colleges List,” Chico State is ranked No. 158 nationally out of 500 higher education institutions. While the University made the top third of the schools listed, it was not the lone CSU campus—11 CSUs appeared in the top 200, with Chico State being the eighth CSU listed. Finally, the University was the 18th-ranked public institution from California.

“Those in higher education have long known and touted the CSU for providing a high-quality and affordable education, while preparing its graduates for wherever their next step takes them,” said Interim Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Serge Desir. “Chico State is in excellent company and deserves to be mentioned among the nation’s finest higher ed institutions.”

Forbes also recognized Chico State at No. 3 in “Best California Colleges Online of 2023,” a strong showing on a list in which four of the top 10 institutions are CSUs. Following top-ranked San Diego State were San José State at No. 2 and Cal State East Bay at No. 5. Forbes based their rankings on student outcomes, affordability, student experience, credibility and the application process.

The Forbes accolades close out a busy month for Chico State. This week the University was honored in Washington Monthly’s 2023 College Guide and Rankings (No. 6 in “Master’s University Rankings” and No. 17 in “Best Bang for the Buck Rankings: West”). Chico State learned it is a finalist for 2023 Examples in Excelencia by Excelencia in Education, while also receiving a pair of multi-year, multi-million-dollar grants for its Office of Graduate Studies.

Two psychology graduate students received Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholar awards, the CSU’s prestigious honors for students’ doctoral aspirations. Money magazine awarded Chico State 4 1/2 out of a possible 5 stars in its “The Best Colleges in American 2023” list.

The Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems received a California Climate Action Seed and Matching Grant totaling approximately $6 million through a partnership between the University of California and the state of California to support the implementation of solutions that directly address state climate priorities. 

Additionally, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities handed its 2023 Excellence and Innovation Award to the CSU for its innovative Faculty Learning Community in Teaching Climate Change and Resilience, an endeavor led by Chico State geography and planning professor Mark Stemen.