Pitzer Named Among the Best Colleges in Latest National Rankings

Pitzer College has again posted strong results in several new national rankings, earning recognition across academic quality, diversity, student outcomes, and sustainability—further cementing its reputation as a leader in impactful liberal arts education.

This season the College has made solid gains in various rankings released by Forbes, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review. The latest set of rankings to be announced is U.S. News & World Report’s “2026 Best Colleges,” which also shows that Pitzer has maintained its position in a highly competitive field of liberal arts colleges nationwide.

“Pitzer’s strong showing in various rankings this year is an affirmation of our mission to connect liberal arts excellence with meaningful student outcomes,” said Pitzer President Strom C. Thacker. “All of these rankings reflect the achievements of our incredible student body and the faculty who are committed to their success. I’m thrilled to see our College recognized again for its efforts to foster a powerful community that encourages bold thinking in our students and a desire to bring about innovative societal change.”

For more details and information about Pitzer’s performance, see rankings below, which have been listed in order from earliest to most recent.

Princeton Review 2025 Best Value Colleges

Princeton Review kicked off this season’s rankings with its release of its 2025 “Best Value Colleges” report in June. Because of the impactful leadership and civic opportunities created for its students, Pitzer College has again ranked at No. 1 in the “Making an Impact” category in Princeton Review’s “Best Value Colleges of 2025” report. 

In recent years, the College has dominated this category—which identifies how well schools foster opportunities for students to make a positive impact in their communities—by placing first in 2022, 2023,  2024, and 2025. The category is one of seven major areas used to assess the “best value” status of some 209 private and public colleges and universities across the country.

Princeton Review determines its Best Value Colleges using a Return on Investment (ROI) rating, which is based on a weighted analysis of more than 40 data points from institutional and student surveys, as well as Payscale.com alumni salary statistics. The methodology broadly assesses a school's academic quality, affordability (cost and financial aid), and career outcomes  (salary, debt, and graduation rates) to identify colleges offering exceptional value. 

Along with teaching students how to produce meaningful impact, Pitzer also ranks in the top three this year in several other categories, including: Most Politically Active Students (No. 2), Green Matters: Everyone Cares About Conservation (No. 3), LGBTQ-Friendly (No. 3), and top 50 Green Colleges (No. 3). 

Read more about Pitzer’s Princeton Review rankings.

Washington Monthly 2025 Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings

In August, Washington Monthly released its 2025 liberal arts colleges rankings, which features 190 of the best schools nationwide. This year Pitzer leaps into the top 50 by placing at No. 45, a move of seven spots from last year’s ranking at No. 52.

There are many media and education-related outlets offering college rankings every year, but Washington Monthly’s are among the most credible because of its transparent, data-driven methodology focusing on public good rather than on other factors such as wealth, prestige, or exclusivity. According to the publication’s website, these rankings were created as a deliberate alternative to those presented by publications like U.S. News & World Report. 

Read more about Pitzer’s Washington Monthly rankings.

2026 Forbes Top 500 Schools

In late August, Forbes released its 2026 rankings, “America’s Top Colleges,” which identifies 500 institutions of all sizes—larger public and private schools as well as smaller liberal arts ones. Pitzer appears at No.129, which is a jump of 13 spots from last year’s ranking at No.142.

To see how smaller liberal arts schools are faring against their peers, Forbes also breaks out a top 50 list that looks at these colleges nationwide. On the Forbes list of top 50 small liberal arts colleges, Pitzer ranks at No.39. 

The Forbes ranking methodology looks at undergraduate outcomes, careers, and related areas such as student debt. 

In a description of Pitzer accompanying this year’s rankings data, Forbes notes how “about half of all Pitzer students study abroad, expanding the university’s global impact. Pitzer prides itself on social responsibility, having one of the largest student governments per capita in the world with more than fifty student senate members. Both students and faculty commit hundreds of thousands of hours to community service each year.” 

Read more about Pitzer’s Forbes’ rankings.

U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Colleges

U.S. News separates higher education institutions into several different rankings categories: national universities (large public and private institutions), smaller liberal arts colleges, regional universities and colleges, HBCUs, and community colleges. Its methodology includes using various weighted factors such as outcomes (graduation, retention rates), faculty resources, academic reputation (through peer surveys), financial resources, student excellence (test scores), and alumni giving. 

Released this week, its “2026 Best Colleges” report places Pitzer at No. 37 out of 207 liberal arts colleges in the category Best National Liberal Arts Colleges. The College is part of a seven-way tie this year that includes Soka University, Skidmore College, Trinity College, and neighboring Scripps College.

This year’s U.S. News rankings also placePitzer among the top 50 schools in several categories, including No. 43 in Best Undergraduate Teaching and No. 47 in Most Innovative Schools.

Read more about Pitzer’s U.S. News rankings.