Stockton highlight
University of the Pacific
University of the Pacific, chartered in 1851, is California's oldest university and maintains its main campus in Stockton with academic programs across nine schools and colleges.
University of the Pacific was chartered in 1851, establishing it as California's first university. The institution was relocated to Stockton in 1924 and has maintained its main campus there since, along with additional campuses in Sacramento and San Francisco. Pacific describes itself as a "California private university of choice," offering more than 160 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across nine schools and colleges. The university draws students from 44 states and 55 countries.
Pacific emphasizes personalized learning and small class sizes, with its faculty described as passionate about student success. The university is ranked #85 among U.S. colleges and universities by the Wall Street Journal, #4 for best value in California by U.S. News & World Report, and is recognized for socioeconomic diversity. The campus operates 21 NCAA Division I athletic teams, most competing in the West Coast Conference, and all three Pacific campuses are powered entirely by renewable electricity.
A university town anchored by an institution of higher learning draws families making long-term commitments: students arriving for four years or more, faculty and staff building careers, families relocating to support their children's education. These households plan years ahead, securing housing, arranging childcare, and ensuring financial stability through years of education and early career building. That planning includes protecting the income and financial commitments that make those plans possible—the job life insurance is meant to do.