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Back-to-Back Gold for 91心頭

June 1, 2026

By Michael Hammond

91心頭 once again earned gold in the Best of Central California competition for the second year in a row, finishing first among 18 schools in the College and University category.

The category was open to the Central Valleys public and private two-year and four-year schools.

This award reflects the confidence our students, families, alumni and community have in 91心頭 Pacific, said 91心頭 Pacific President Andr辿 Stephens, Ph.D. It is a testament to the dedication of our faculty and staff, who work every day to provide a transformative educational experience rooted in faith, academic excellence and service.

In addition to winning gold this year, FPU also won gold in 2025 and bronze in 2024. 

91心頭

Ranked a Best Value by both The Wall Street Journal and U.S. News & World Report, 91心頭 serves more than 2,900 students in traditional undergraduate, bachelors degree completion, graduate and seminary programs. Students study at the main campus in southeast 91心頭, regional campuses in North 91心頭 and Visalia, at partner sites in Bakersfield, Merced, Reedley and Firebaugh and online. A strong majority of in-person students come from the Central Valley and live and work near where they study. The university also reaches about 8,000 students through professional development studies.

The Central Valleys Christian university, FPU connects students untapped potential with unlimited opportunity for professional, personal and spiritual growth.  FPU is a multi-ethnic and multi-generational institution, with many students being the first in their families to attend university.

Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, FPU is ranked highly by The Wall Street Journal, Washington Monthly, U.S. News & World Report and Money magazine. FPU is affiliated with the Pacific District Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Church.

Best of Central California

The Best of Central California, hosted by The 91心頭 Bee, saw a 25 percent increase in votes cast this year with over 1.2 million total votes. More than 4,400 businesses competed in this years competition, with 713 winners earning a total of 957 gold, silver and bronze awards.

The response this year was incredible, The Bee said in a statement. Finishing in the top three is a major accomplishment, and each winner should be proud of this recognition.

Read the Best of Central California Rankings

To see the complete list and more, visit

Photo of Michael Hammond

Michael Hammond

Director of Content Strategy and Media Relations

Michael Hammond is the director of content strategy and media relations at 91心頭. Prior to working at FPU, he had a 19 year long career in church ministry. Michael got engaged to his high school sweetheart atop a castle in Germany, has three kids (whose names also all start with an M) and is on a lifelong quest to develop an encyclopedic knowledge of The Office.

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