La Sierra University moved upward in three categories in best colleges rankings published today by U.S. News & World Report, including a jump to eighth place among western universities for social mobility.

The U.S. News & World Report 2022-2023 Best Colleges guide released Sept. 12 offers much-anticipated annual rankings of 1,500 colleges and universities across 17 measures of academic quality and in multiple specialty rankings for categories such as Social Mobility, Best Value, Innovative Schools, Undergraduate Teaching, among others. The guide divides colleges and universities around the country into four main groupings. La Sierra is listed in the Best Regional Universities West sector which covers 15 western states and includes 117 ranked universities this year.

For the 2022-2023 ranking of western regional universities, La Sierra University moved up to No. 50, 17 points higher than last year’s placement. It is tied for 50th with three other universities. Within western regional universities, the university jumped up three spots over last year’s results to eighth place for social mobility which measures a school’s capacity to enroll and graduate economically disadvantaged students who qualify for Pell Grants.

Additionally, the university ranked 20th among western universities for best value, a metric that looks at a school's academic quality as indicated by its primary ranking and the previous year’s net cost of attendance for an out-of-state student who received the average level of need-based financial aid. La Sierra University is also the only Inland Empire university on the western regional list to land among the top 20 for best value. The university last placed in this category in the 2020 Best Colleges guide when it ranked 23rd.

“We are so pleased to see La Sierra University’s hard work recognized in this manner,” said Joy Fehr, La Sierra University president. “These strong rankings reflect the underlying values and deep commitment that guide this institution as we serve our amazing students and help them achieve beyond their expectations.”

The university’s high placement in the social mobility category this year marks a continual move up the roster – in guides for 2020, 2021 and 2022 the university ranked 13th, 17th and 11th respectively, for social mobility. The strong ranking reflects La Sierra’s ongoing effort to serve those in need of financial assistance. During the 2021-22 school year, just under 51 percent of La Sierra University undergraduates were eligible to receive Pell Grants. Students’ eligibility for this aid is identified by the government based on the information in the student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

This focus has also helped the university land top national placements for its diversity with the annual Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education college ranking each year since 2016. That guide is typically released later in September.

Best Colleges 2022-2023 is U.S. News’ 38th edition since its rankings began in 1983. College-bound high schoolers and their families use the guides in choosing schools for higher education degrees. Best Regional Universities West in which La Sierra University is ranked annually is a category that includes those schools with a wide range of undergraduate programs, some master’s degree offerings and a few doctoral programs. Regional universities lists are also created for multi-state regions in the Midwest, North and South. Other main classifications include lists for National Universities and National Liberal Arts Colleges.

To view the U.S. News & World Report 2022-2023 Best Colleges rankings, visit https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges.