Welcome to the University of California, Los Angeles! Otherwise known as UCLA.
According to Niche.com, who puts together yearly rankings for the best college campuses in America, has ranked UCLA at the top of its 2025 list.
The methodology behind the rankings utilizes statistics and data from the U.S. Department of Education, in addition to student reviews to help identify the greatest campuses in the country.
“Within our surveys, UCLA received exceptionally high ratings for the quality of its facilities, classrooms, and dorms. Additionally, UCLA achieved top scores for campus resources, reflected in its No. 1 rankings for student life and campus food, and its number 12 ranking for best professors,” Zach Chatham from Niche.com told Travel + Leisure.
According to the polls, approximately 74 percent of students said that the dorm quality on campus is excellent, and 87 percent say they feel “extremely safe”.
The university was founded in 1919 and originally occupied the buildings of the old Los Angeles State Normal School, which was a teachers’ college near downtown Los Angeles. In 1927, the campus was renamed to the University of California at Los Angeles, thus becoming UCLA. Two years later, they moved the current campus to Westwood, which sits on 419 acres and still offers plenty of room for expansion.
Royce Hall was one of the original four buildings on camppus, inspired by architecture in Milan. Alongside that original building is Powell Library, Kerckhoff Hall, and Haines Hall.
Today, the campus has over 230 buildings and 85 facilities, including things like theaters, planetariums, gardens, and a medical center.
UCLA is no stranger to nationwide accolades. It also topped U.S. News’ 2024 ranking of top public schools alongside University of California, Berkeley.
