Story perspectives

UC Berkeley Tops Forbes; UCLA Leads in Applications

9/5/2025

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Summary

Story summary

UC Berkeley is the top public university and ranked No. 5 overall on Forbes’ college list.
Rankings assess student return on investment, factoring in graduate salary and graduation rates.
UCLA attracted the highest number of applicants nationwide, totaling 145,058 in 2023.
UC San Diego is recognized for its strong undergraduate research opportunities.
UC Berkeley graduates have the lowest average debt at $6,529 and a median salary of $170,100 over 20 years.

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Story summary

UC Berkeley is the top public university and ranked No. 5 overall on Forbes’ college list.
Rankings assess student return on investment, factoring in graduate salary and graduation rates.
UCLA attracted the highest number of applicants nationwide, totaling 145,058 in 2023.
UC San Diego is recognized for its strong undergraduate research opportunities.
UC Berkeley graduates have the lowest average debt at $6,529 and a median salary of $170,100 over 20 years.