<p>In new rankings announced today by the Washington Monthly measuring “what colleges are doing for the country,” the University of California, San Diego was ranked second in the nation.</p>
<p>UC Berkeley topped the list of 253 public and private universities, with UCLA ranked in third place and Stanford University in fourth.</p>
<p>The Washington Monthly noted: “Public universities deserve a lot more credit than they’re getting—13 of our top 20 universities are taxpayer funded. The University of California system in particular stands out, grabbing the top three spots and six of the top 25. UC campuses enroll unusually large numbers of low-income students while maintaining high graduation rates, generating billions of dollars in research funding, and sending a healthy number of students into service programs. Tragically, steep budget cuts stemming from the current California budget fiasco are putting all of that at risk.”</p>
<p>The noted publication bases its list on three criteria: social mobility, research and service. “In our eyes,” the editor writes, “America’s best colleges are those that work hardest to help economically disadvantaged students earn the credentials that the job market demands. They’re the institutions that contribute new scientific discoveries and highly trained PhDs. They’re the colleges that emphasize the obligations students have to serve their communities and the nation at large.”</p>
<p>“I am very proud that UC San Diego consistently ranks among the nation’s leading higher education and research universities, and this ranking is especially meaningful because it is based on the university’s positive impact and contributions to the country,” said Chancellor Marye Anne Fox. “It is a true honor to be recognized not only for the quality of our education, but also for our innovative research, our commitment to service and our extensive community outreach programs, including those that help first-generation college students.”</p>
<p>In describing its scoring, the publication said “overall score represents the combined total of our three metrics—social mobility, research, and service—where the highest is 100 and the lowest is zero.” UC Berkley received an overall score of 100; UC San Diego, 82, and UCLA, 80.</p>
<p>Headlined “A Different Kind of College Ranking,” the publication’s list of the top 30 national universities ranks Harvard at 11th place, Yale at 23rd and Princeton at 28th.</p>
<p>UC San Diego, one of the 10 campuses of the world-renowned University of California system, has consistently ranked in the top 10 in numerous national and international rankings. Last month UC San Diego was named seventh best public university in the nation in the 2009 U.S. News college rankings.</p>