Sonoma State is included in the 2024 list of the Best Colleges in America released by "Money Magazine" June 12. Money’s analysis showcases the country’s top 745 colleges based on graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid, alumni salaries and more.
SSU also made the magazine's lists for Best Public Colleges, Best Colleges in the West, and Best College with High Acceptance Rates, about which they say "A college doesn’t have to be exclusive to deliver a strong return on investment for students."
The California State University system (CSU) is routinely recognized for providing great value to its graduates and their families. In fact, two recent reports from Georgetown University and the College Futures Foundation place CSUs among the top California colleges offering the best return on investment.
Rather than using numerical rankings to order the colleges, "Money" uses a rating system that they say more accurately represents the variation in colleges’ performance. In a numbered ranking, very small differences in colleges’ scores result in different ranks, exaggerating the difference in performance, and it’s more important to look broadly at where a college lands on a list and not its precise rank, according to the publication’s editors.
All 23 universities in the CSU made the Best Colleges list. CSU Chancellor Mildred García said, “While I am very pleased, I am also unsurprised, because the ranking’s criteria reflect the mission and core values of the CSU: authentic access, student success, social mobility, affordability and preparing diverse students for a lifetime of prosperity, fulfillment and service.”