La Sierra No. 1 in West for Social Mobility, climbs U.S. News best colleges

09/22/2026 Darla Martin Tucker

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – (www.lasierra.edu) La Sierra University is ranked the No. 1 regional university in the West for Social Mobility in the U.S. News & World Report 2027 Best Colleges guide released today. La Sierra’s placement, which has moved steadily upward in the ranking for several years, is a recognition of the university’s ability to enroll and graduate marginalized students facing economic challenges.

La Sierra University freshmen cheer for a photo during IGNITE orientation week this September. Below, group photo: faculty, staff and mascot Eko pose for a photo following the traditional Hello Walk on Sept. 17 welcoming freshmen to campus. (Photos: Neto Barros de Silva)

La Sierra University President Christon Arthur greets freshmen during the Sept. 17 Hello Walk. (Photo and photos below: La Sierra University)

Staff and faculty members wave just before the start of the Hello Walk welcoming freshmen to campus.

Faculty members celebrate with a graduate on June 14 during the commencement processional. (Photos: Jon Hwang)

La Sierra University President Christon Arthur poses with a graduate on June 14.

Additionally, the Seventh-day Adventist university increased its standings in other categories, ranking No. 10 in the West for Best Value, moving up eight spots from last year, and tied at No. 29 in the overall ranking, an increase of 12 spots over last year’s guide.

La Sierra University scored the highest of two Adventist universities ranked for Social Mobility and Best Value, and was the highest ranked Adventist school in the western region overall category. Cal State, Monterey Bay came in 2nd for Social Mobility and neighboring Cal State, San Bernardino landed at No. 3. LeTourneau University and Stephen F. Austin State University, both in Texas, tied with La Sierra for the 29th overall spot.

In a new category, the university also tied with LeTourneau University at No. 12 for Top Private School in the West and is the highest-ranked Adventist school in that category.

La Sierra University • U.S News & World Report 2027 Best Colleges Guide

Regional Universities-West

No. 1 - Social Mobility
No. 10 - Best Value
No. 29 - Overall (tied)
No. 12 - Top Private Schools (tied)

“We are excited to see the university’s placements in the U.S. News & World Report 2027 Best Colleges guide,” said La Sierra University President Christon Arthur. “The university is dedicated to uplifting our students and moving them forward. The Social Mobility category in particular is a testament to the hard work of our faculty and staff in living out our core values, in mentoring and supporting students where they are and empowering them to discover and reach their potential.

"This direct, intentional care continues to be a distinguishing feature of the La Sierra experience and is often cited by our students in remarks about their time here,” Arthur said. “As a Christian Seventh-day Adventist institution, helping our students achieve beyond their expectations and grow in all areas of their lives, especially their faith walk, is what most excites us. We welcome all home to our table.”

Last year, La Sierra University placed No. 3 in the Social Mobility category, No. 18 for Best Value, and No. 41 in the overall category. Over the past four years, the university’s Social Mobility ranking has risen from 11^th in 2022 to its current No. 1 spot in the 2027 Best Colleges guide.

The Regional Universities-West category encompasses 110 schools across 15 states. Regional universities are also ranked in North, South and Midwest categories. U.S. News defines regional universities as those institutions that offer an array of undergraduate and some master's degrees, and some research-oriented doctoral programs.

The Social Mobility category ranks schools based on their ability to enroll and graduate large proportions of students who have received federal Pell grants which are awarded based on federal poverty guidelines. Schools are ranked based on two social mobility ranking factors – Pell Grant graduation rates and Pell Grant graduation rate performance, U.S. News notes.

U.S. News ranks schools using data from its own surveys and from federal government data such as the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard. Within each ranking category, schools are scored on up to 17 academic quality and graduate success factors such as graduation rates, first-year retention rates, earnings by major, financial resources, student-faculty ratios and other measures. A standardized scale based on the data is used for fair comparisons across different measures, U.S. News notes in an overview of its methodology. The result is a data-driven comparison of more than 1,700 colleges and universities.