Westcliff Earns Its Spot Among the Nation\u2019s Best<\/span><\/b><\/p> This year, Westcliff earned three prestigious institutional recognitions that solidify its growing national stature across graduate education and student support. U.S. News & World Report<\/i><\/a> ranked its Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS)<\/a> and Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT)<\/a> programs No. 44 in the country among Best Online Graduate Information Technology Programs<\/i> for 2026. The distinction places Westcliff alongside institutions with far deeper resources, underscoring what the university has cultivated in academic quality, faculty and student engagement, program flexibility and reputation, online learning excellence and graduation outcomes.<\/p> Los Angeles Times Studios<\/i><\/a> named Westcliff the No. 2 Top MBA Program in Southern California for 2026, distinguishing the university\u2019s career-driven curriculum, practical business training and leadership development offerings that have made its MBA program a growing destination for working professionals across the region.<\/p> Rounding out the trio, Westcliff advanced from Silver to Gold Status<\/b> in the 2026 Military Friendly\u00ae Schools<\/a> designation, an evaluation that measures institutional commitment to veterans, active-duty service members and military families at every stage of their scholastic journey. Westcliff achieved Gold Status through expanded student success outcomes and a dynamic support infrastructure that includes dedicated academic advisors, tuition assistance coordination, benefits planning, early intervention systems and career development resources tailored specifically to its military student population.<\/p> A Winning Season for the Warriors<\/span><\/b><\/p> The 2025\u201326 season was nothing short of historic for Westcliff Athletics, adding new accolades to a department that now holds 32 conference championships and 11 national titles under its belt while continuing to establish itself as the place where student-athletes come to compete, grow and lead. Across more than a dozen programs, the Warriors delivered wins, broke records, made postseason runs, increased national visibility and continued building as one of the NAIA\u2019s fastest-rising athletic contenders.<\/p> The marquee moment of the year came from the Surf program, which defeated a nine-time defending national champion to claim Westcliff\u2019s first-ever NSSA Collegiate National Championship<\/a>, a title that cements Westcliff's place among the elite of collegiate surfing. Cheer added its own hardware to the trophy case, sweeping both the NCA Collegiate National Championship and the USA Collegiate National Championship\u2014the latter marking three consecutive USA National titles for the program.<\/p> That same winning culture carried through multiple Warriors teams this season. Men\u2019s Volleyball went undefeated in conference play, entering the national tournament as a top-10 seed and earning both the Cal Pac Regular Season and Tournament titles. In what was widely regarded as the strongest season in program history, Women's Soccer posted a perfect conference run, captured the Cal Pac Tournament title and made its third NAIA National Tournament appearance in four years. Men\u2019s Soccer also added a Cal Pac Tournament championship and advanced to the second round of the NAIA National Tournament.<\/p> Some of the year\u2019s most energizing stories came from programs that made exceptional developmental strides. Women\u2019s Volleyball, for example, opened the season at 4-9 before rallying to win 10 of its final 14 matches\u2014upsetting the No. 1 and No. 3 seeds at the CAC Tournament to earn the first postseason victories since the program\u2019s inception. As one of the fastest-growing sports in the department under the direction of Head Coach D\u2019Rell Gist and his staff, wrestling produced its highest-ever women\u2019s conference finish with seven conference placers and multiple national qualifiers. On the men\u2019s side, junior wrestler Chris Calderon displayed one of the year\u2019s most inspiring individual performances and came within a single point of All-American honors at the NAIA National Championships, losing twice by one point to eventual All-Americans. The department also hosted the inaugural Warrior Classic wrestling invitational, attracting teams from across the country to compete at the Westcliff campus and further establishing its status within the collegiate wrestling community.<\/p> The university also kept a deliberate focus on strategic program expansion, adding Cross Country\u2014led by Gus Schmader, a former NCAA national champion, 16-time All-American and coach with more than 20 years of collegiate experience\u2014along with Women\u2019s Flag Football and STUNT, two of the most rapidly growing sports across the NAIA landscape. Beyond competition, the university\u2019s annual Inclusive Sports Day, hosted in partnership with the Inclusive Sports Foundation, drew nearly 400 students, athletes, volunteers and community members this year and earned a standout endorsement from Foundation founder Matt Lance: \u201cWestcliff does it better than anyone that we work with.\u201d<\/p> \u201cThis has been one of the most well-rounded years in Westcliff\u2019s history,\u201d said Dr. Anthony Lee, president and CEO of Westcliff University. \u201cOur student-athletes competed at the highest levels of their sports while our academic programs earned accolades that represent the quality and commitment we\u2019ve worked so hard to embed into every area of this university. Whether it\u2019s a national championship, a top-ranked academic program or receiving the highest honors for how we serve our military-connected students, these achievements illustrate exactly the kind of institution Westcliff is; one where competitive excellence and academic opportunity are one and the same. We are incredibly proud of what our students, coaches and faculty delivered this year and look forward to seeing our Warriors continue on this trajectory of success for years to come.\u201d<\/p> For more information about Westcliff University, visit https:\/\/www.westcliff.edu\/<\/a>.<\/p> About Westcliff University: <\/b>Westcliff University is an innovative global higher education institution with its finger on the pulse of the international business landscape and the needs of today\u2019s employers. Founded in 1993 and based in Irvine, Calif., it offers bachelor\u2019s, master\u2019s and doctorate degrees spanning 20+ areas of study, including business, education, technology, nursing, law, computer science and engineering. Westcliff is a California Public Benefit Corporation that affirms its dedication to operating in the best interests of its students and the surrounding community. With more than 9,000 enrolled students across nine campuses worldwide, its programs focus on both the hard and soft skills needed to secure quality jobs in high-growth industries. The university offers hands-on learning through community and business engagement while delivering innovative, affordable online and in-person programs across its global campuses\u2014earning continued national recognition, including a ranking on the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges list, a No. 2 ranking for MBA programs by the Los Angeles Times and designation as a Military Friendly institution. Visit www.westcliff.edu<\/a> and www.wsulaw.edu<\/a> to learn more and follow Westcliff on YouTube<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a> and LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p> Editor\u2019s Note: <\/b><\/i>Media interested in speaking to expert staff, faculty and leadership of Westcliff University should email <\/i>westcliff@beyondfifteen.com<\/i><\/a> to facilitate interviews.<\/i><\/p>![](\"https:\/\/mms.businesswire.com\/media\/20260701273321\/en\/2843146\/22\/Screenshot_2026-06-30_at_5-13-32%E2%80%AFPM_1.jpg\")
<\/a>![](\"https:\/\/mms.businesswire.com\/media\/20260701273321\/en\/2843146\/21\/Screenshot_2026-06-30_at_5-13-32%E2%80%AFPM_1.jpg\")
<\/a>![](\"https:\/\/mms.businesswire.com\/media\/20260701273321\/en\/2843145\/22\/westclif_logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a>![](\"https:\/\/mms.businesswire.com\/media\/20260701273321\/en\/2843145\/21\/westclif_logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a>