The University of California, Davis, received some special accolades and continues to be recognized as one of the nation’s top public universities in the “Best Colleges” rankings released Sept. 8 by U.S. News & World Report.

UC Davis is ranked 11th among public universities in the country. Among all public and private national universities, the university ranks 39th.

In a new measure, the Davis campus is ranked ninth among all public universities for its contributions to social mobility. This ranking is based on the graduation rates of recipients of Pell Grants. Grant recipients typically come from households with incomes less than $50,000 annually, though most Pell Grant money goes to students with a total family income below $20,000, the publication said.

“UC Davis continues to build on its strengths as shown by its strong placements in these recent rankings,” said Chancellor Gary S. May. “The excellence of our teaching and research, and our commitment to providing social mobility for students of all backgrounds, make UC Davis a top choice for students who want an excellent, affordable education along with a chance to make a difference in the world.”

UC Davis is also among three UC campuses and 10 public universities in a list of 28 national universities whose class of 2017 graduated with the least debt.

Other highlights

Also among the rankings released by U.S. News are:

• Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs. UC Davis climbed three spots to be in a five-way tie for 29th place for its undergraduate engineering program among 206 universities that offer doctoral programs. It is tied with Cornell University for third place in the undergraduate specialty of agricultural engineering.
• Best Colleges for Veterans. Based on enrollment of veterans and benefits for both veterans and active-duty military that make a college education more affordable, the university ranks 17th among national universities.
• Diversity. The campus was highlighted among those with the most ethnic diversity among U.S. domestic students.

Recent rankings

Other recent rankings also have highlighted UC Davis for its academic reputation, affordability, student success and the quality of care provided by the UC Davis Medical Center:

• Last week, the university ranked fifth among the nation’s public universities in the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Ranking. It climbed five spots to be No. 36 overall among 801 institutions. It stands third among UC campuses and seventh among private and public universities in California.
• UC Davis ranked second among the top universities in the nation on a list of Affordable Elite Colleges put out by Washington Monthly magazine in its September/October issue. The campus also ranked No. 11 among public and private universities in the national university rankings, came in at No. 3 among public universities and was the third-ranked university in California.
• Last month, Money Magazine placed UC Davis fourth among public universities and fifth overall among 744 schools ranked using 26 factors in quality of education, affordability and outcomes.
• In July, U.S. News & World Report ranked the UC Davis Medical Center No. 1 in Sacramento and No. 6 in California. It is also ranked among the nation’s top 50 hospitals in 10 adult medical specialties.