President's Message

An Investment that Changes Lives

In August, Money Magazine released their annual report “The Best Colleges in America.” Unlike other rankings, the Money Magazine assessment focuses on one primary factor — value. Each year, they consider 750 schools nationwide and crunch 20,000 data points to determine which colleges and universities provide the greatest return on investment. Among a host of factors, they look at the professional success of alumni, graduation rates, and student debt, as well as which schools provide the most “added value” in relation to the economic and academic backgrounds of their students.

For the most part, the schools that end up in the top 20 come as no surprise. MIT, Stanford, and Princeton are all there. Five of the University of California campuses made the list. Yale was No. 7, and Harvard came in at No. 14.

Do you care to guess who came in at No. 15?

The No. 15 best value in the country, just after Harvard — and ahead of UC Berkeley, UCLA, and CalTech — is Cal Poly Pomona.

This accolade happened because we are a campus that expands opportunity and then mentors students with an education that is relevant and builds the knowledge base and skills necessary for the modern economy.

And this achievement happened because of the generous support provided by you and so many others. Those who give to Cal Poly Pomona understand that we are one of the most dynamic engines of social mobility in the country and a bastion of opportunity for students across California and beyond. Our economically and ethnically diverse student body ensures that your support of Cal Poly Pomona generates massive impact both in terms of opportunities and outcomes for our students. Your generosity is truly an investment that changes lives.

Thank you for your ongoing support of Cal Poly Pomona, and please stay healthy and be well.

Sincerely,
Soraya M. Coley, Ph.D.
President