<p>I wonder if someone could rank the universities in the UC system by selectivity and if it wouldn't be too much trouble, tell me what is especially distinctive (either in terms of the school culture or just academically) about each of them?</p>
<p>I have a friend interested in the California schools but I don't know anything about them at all.</p>
<p>UC System:</p>
<p>Berkeley
UCLA
UC San Diego
UC Davis/UC Santa Barbara/UC Irvine
UC Santa Cruz
UC Riverside
UC Merced</p>
<p>Berkeley - most prestigious academically - all academic departments are stellar, selectivity on par with UCLA, San Francisco/Bay Area, beautiful wooded campus, easy accessible public transportation (BART and bus), Pac-10 sports, intellectual environment, Gothic/classical/eclectic architecture, city of Berkeley is a true college town...the city caters to students (OK...I'm biased...;) )</p>
<p>UCLA - Socal weather, Pac-10 sports, considered "more social" (whatever that means), very nice campus, Italian Renaissance architecture, not as strong department academic reputation-wise, LA glamour</p>
<p>UC San Diego - world renowned for biology, residential colleges, slightly less selective than UCLA and Berkeley. La Jolla...wealthy suburb of San Diego, beach, modern '60s architecture, campus life is kinda boring.</p>
<p>UC Davis - strong veterinary and integrative/agricultural biology departments. Similar selectivity to UCI and UCSB...inland small college town near Sacramento...bikes prominent...only UC to have a football team besides Berkeley and UCLA.</p>
<p>UC Santa Barbara - strong physics and engineering departments, located on the beach in Santa Barbara, UC with a party school reputation</p>
<p>UC Irvine - up and coming UC...more of a commuter campus feel, strong academically, located in Orange County master planned community of Irvine...campus life is lacking.</p>
<p>UC Santa Cruz - beautiful wooded campus, very liberal, northern coast of California south of San Francisco. Less selective than UCI, UCSB and UCD</p>
<p>UC Riverside - located in inland Los Angeles (Riverside), commuter campus feel, recently added a medical school.</p>
<p>UC Merced - Newest UC founded in 2005. Inland central valley location. Too new to really have a reputation...but students can be part of shaping that reputation/atmosphere...first research university founded in the 21st century.</p>
<p>UC San Francisco - Berkeley's de facto medical school...graduate only.</p>
<p>Thank you so much. This is all extremely helpful. :)</p>
<p>UC system selectivity was recently discussed in this thread:</p>
<p>You can find out more at the UC website:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/497122-uc-schools.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/497122-uc-schools.html</a></p>
<p>UC Campus photos:
Atkinson</a> Photographic Archive</p>