A major university ranking organization has named Fresno Pacific University the only Christian college or university in the Western United States to get its top rating.
Money gave FPU five stars in its 2025 Best Colleges in the United States list, released last week. “We are proud to the be the only Christian university in the Western U.S. to receive Money’s highest ranking. This five-star rating is a tribute to our students, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. This affirms that Fresno Pacific University is a place where academic excellence, affordability and Christ-centered transformation come together,” said FPU President André Stephens, Ph.D.
The finance website selected 732 of the country’s more than 2,400 four-year public and private nonprofit colleges to be rated using its 2–5-star system. Results were based on 25 factors in three categories.
Under quality of education, the rankings considered four- and six-year graduation rates, the actual graduation rate versus the expected rate based on the economic and academic profile of the student body, peer quality measured by test scores and average GPA of entering freshmen and the percentage of accepted students who enroll, the student-to-faculty ratio, financial strength, and outcomes for recipients of Pell Grants, which are scholarships awarded to lower-income students.
Affordability factors included the net price of a degree based on the college’s stated price, how much the school awards in grants and scholarships, and the average time it takes students to graduate. It also considered the net price paid by students from families in different income brackets, the average student debt upon graduation, and the ability to repay that debt after adjusting for the economic and academic profile of the student body.
For student outcomes, the rankings looked at earnings 10 years after college entry, the share of alumni neither working nor enrolled in graduate school one year after completing their degree, and the share of alumni earning more than a high school graduate six years after starting. Additional considerations included value-added earnings adjusted for student background, graduates’ earnings adjusted for majors, and an economic mobility index that measures a college’s share of students from low- and moderate-income backgrounds as well as the cost and payoff of a degree for those students.
For its calculations, Money uses data from the U.S. Department of Education, Higher Ed Value Metrics and other sources. More at 2025 Best Colleges in U.S. | Money.
In good company
The other 5-star California colleges and universities are UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State San Bernadino, Cal State Stanislaus, CSU Dominguez Hills, Harvey Mudd College, Pomona College, San Jose State, and Stanford.
About Fresno Pacific University
Fresno Pacific University is the Central Valley’s accredited Christian university, connecting students’ untapped potential with unlimited opportunity for professional, personal and spiritual growth. FPU offers undergraduate, graduate and seminary programs to nearly 2,900 traditional and adult students on the main campus in southeast Fresno and regional campuses in North Fresno, Visalia, Bakersfield and Merced as well as online. The university also reaches about 8,000 students through professional development studies. FPU is a Hispanic Serving Institution, with a Hispanic student population of 60%. Most students are also the first in their families to attend university, and both Hispanic and first-generation students graduate at the same rate as students overall. In addition to Money, FPU is ranked highly by The Wall Street Journal, Washington Monthly, U.S. News & World Report and Money, with The Journal ranking the university first among private schools in social mobility for its graduates and both U.S. News and Washington Monthly including FPU on their “Best Value” and “Best Bang for the Buck” lists. FPU is affiliated with the Mennonite Brethren Church, and all employees express a personal Christian commitment.
About Money
Money was founded in 1972 as a print magazine to help everyday people live richer lives by learning personal finance strategies that improved their bottom line. Today as a website, Money provides news, educational resources and tools through in-depth articles, free weekly newsletters and instructional videos. More at Money.com.
