<p>Pretty self-explanatory topic title...</p>
<p>California Institute of Technology
Harvey Mudd College
Stanford University
University of California-Berkeley</p>
<p>University of California-Los Angeles
University of California-San Diego
University of California-Santa Barbara</p>
<p>For those of us with less than stellar stats:
Cal Poly SLO
SJSU</p>
<p>For engineering, I'd put Cal Poly up there with UCSB. </p>
<p>Even out-of-state, Cal Poly has a really good rep.</p>
<p>Also, I think LMU is supposed to be good.</p>
<p>Don't forget Pomona for physics.</p>
<ol>
<li>Caltech (is most rigorous)</li>
<li>Stanford (has best course selection)</li>
<li>Harvey Mudd</li>
<li>UCLA</li>
</ol>
<p>cosmology, you forgot Cal, which belongs among the top 3 or 4 in the nation, let alone California.</p>
<p>In terms of LACs, Harvey Mudd is the best.</p>
<p>The places with the highest physics research reputations are Stanford, Caltech, and Berkeley.</p>
<p>Close behind are UCSB, UCLA, and UCSD, roughly in that order.</p>