Fresno State was ranked No. 24 out of 395 public and private universities for its fourth year in the Washington Monthly magazine. 

The university stands high in the Top 25 with six Ivy League institutions, six University of California campuses, MIT and top-ranked Stanford University in company.

“Real improvement will mean following the example of institutions like [Fresno State], our 24th-ranked national university, which enrolls an unusually large number of low-income and first-generation students and helps them graduate into good-paying jobs,” the magazine said in a news release.

For the past 15 years, the Washington Monthly magazine has ranked universities with a different twist called “a different kind of college ranking,” instead of looking for universities known for prestige and wealth. They focus on social mobility, service and research, providing an annual list of top national universities. 

Fresno State stands out with its transformative educational experience, combining classroom learning with hands-on experiences and community collaboration for its students. 

This fall, Fresno State welcomed 23,622 students to campus, about 89 percent of them were from the Central Valley. The 2019-2020 state budget that recently passed will allow Fresno State to bring in about 1,000 additional upper-division transfer students in the spring. 

“We are proud to be recognized as a leading public university in the nation for expanding educational opportunity for diverse students and conducting research that benefits all,” said Fresno State President Dr. Joseph I. Castro in a news release. “Just as importantly, these rankings place a premium on public service, which transforms our surrounding communities, where more than 80 percent of our alumni choose to stay and work.”