Cal State San Bernardino has once again been recognized for transforming lives through social mobility. Education Reform Now (ERN) has listed CSUSB at No. 5 on its Social Mobility Elevator (SME) national rankings.

“At CSUSB, we firmly believe that education is the key to breaking barriers and creating a brighter future for all,” said CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales. “This ranking is not just a reflection of our institution’s dedication, but also a testament to the resilience and determination of our students. Together, we are reshaping lives, bridging gaps and building a society where upward mobility knows no bounds. I am immensely proud of our CSUSB community and look forward to continuing our mission of fostering social mobility for generations to come.”

In addition to ordinal rankings, ERN, a non-partisan, nonprofit think tank and advocacy organization, separated the 1,429 colleges into four quartiles, since in any ranking of a group this large, ordinals encourage overestimation of differences. According to ERN, any university in the top 100 or even in the top quartile likely has a significant impact on social mobility.

“The 2023 Social Mobility Elevator rankings heavily favor large public universities in states with a large number of Pell-eligible students and a diverse population. California – and the California State University system in particular – do very well, taking 70% of the top 20 spots. Size matters,” says the ERN website. 

The CSUs in the top five with CSUSB include Cal State Northridge at No. 4 and Cal State Los Angeles at No. 1. 

ERN says size is not the only factor. The organization created a chart showing that many large institutions that underperform relative to their size and other small ones that overperform. ERN also created a hypothetical ranking that gave every college the same number of Pell-eligible students and removed the state index. 

“It is an imperfect thought experiment, but a revealing one all the same, because it shows that our top-ranked schools are more than just big,” the ERN website says. “They are also diverse and have strong outcomes for students.”

For more information and to view the full list, visit the Education Reform Now website.