<p>I've begun to notice that while exploring the subject, that while there are a
number of universities that are supposedly considered "top-tier" as far as quality of
education is concerned, I still see that many of these schools (i.e. The University of
Texas-Austin, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Florida etc.) are never
considered in the public's eye as nearly as good a school as say: The University of
Virginia, or UNC-Chapel Hill, or The University of Michigan. Why is thi s? What would a
(Univ. of) Texas, or Illinois, or Florida have to do to reach the same level of
"status" and positive public perception as UVA, UNC, or Michigan? And why doesn't this
happen if these schools are all supposedly (according to polls, rankings, research,
etc.) as good, if not better than their more highly respected counterparts?</p>
<p>UT is highly regarded, especially its graduate departments. UIUC is one of the most highly regarded undergraduate schools for engineering.</p>
<p>It’s difficult to know what you mean by “the public.” Most of the public is grossly ill-informed when it comes to undergraduate education.</p>
<p>Well I’m not from the States, from UAE, and out here Texas, Virginia and illinois are regarded quite highly and are thought of as great schools, so perhaps its just a regional thing for you</p>
<p>I think the differences are probably small, but I’ve only actually attended one school: Northwestern.</p>
<p>However, researching graduate schools, it’s clear that a school like Indiana-Bloomington has as many excellent researchers as Northwestern. Probably more, given it’s size.</p>
<p>I think the perception is that large public schools focus allow less individual attention for undergraduates. Larger classes, more bureaucracy, etc.</p>
<p>I’m not sure that this is true, at least anymore. Once you get beyond 10-20 students, class discussions become unwieldy and awkward. Ergo, why does it matter whether a Illinois has 400-person lecture sections and NU limits it to around 200? They’re essentially equivalent.</p>
<p>Finally, private elite schools are thought by many to boost one’s lifetime earnings by more than public schools, although the data do not support this claim.</p>
<p>Given the large (average) differences in tuition, there’s no reason to make a blanket statement like “You should go to Penn not Penn State.” Maybe for graduate school since many PhD programs waive your tuition, but for an undergrad I’d think more about what is right for you, whether the school is in a location you’d like to live in after graduation, whether it has exactly what you want to study, etc.</p>
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<p>^Take this to heart. Most people don’t know what on earth they’re talking about when it comes to education (just think of all the poor LACs).</p>
<p>I have always heard of UIUC- it’s quite well-known and very reputable! Same with UT Austin.</p>
<p>When it comes to university rankings, the average American does not look at the USNews rankings. They look at the Sports Illustrated rankings. That is their measure of prestige.</p>
<p>^^Definitely Agree</p>
<p>The University of Florida is highly respected within Florida, and is nationally ranked around the same as UT or Penn St., but is likely perceived OOS as just another big party school. </p>
<p>I would say UIUC commands a lot of respect in the midwest and UT is respected nationally, especially in fields such as Engineering.</p>
<p>Schools like UVA, UNC, and UM command a lot of respect to due their historical tradition, and much tougher admission standards. Personally, I believe the education you receive at these schools would be similar to publics such as UT and UF, the degree just holds more cachet.</p>
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<p>Why do they need to be? UTexas will get you pretty much anywhere you want to go in Texas. UIUC will get you pretty much anywhere you want to go in Illinois. Why is it important that people on the other side of the country value your state school? It’s irrelevant for the majority of UIUC students who desire to stay in the midwest and for whom UIUC serves them well.</p>
<p>@TomSrOfBoston: I would have to disagree. U.Va. is not good at basketball or football, two sports that get most of the coverage in Sports Illustrated and its counterparts (SportsCenter, etc.). Yes, they may be good at sports like lacrosse and soccer, but the vast majority of the public really doesn’t care. And look at 'Bama…they won the NCAA football championship, yet I highly doubt anyone regards them as “prestigious”.</p>
<p>@msheard
"And look at 'Bama…they won the NCAA football championship, yet I highly doubt anyone regards them as “prestigious”. "</p>
<p>That is exactly the point I am trying to make. It may be the circle you move in but a lot of people do consider that a measure of prestige. e.g. Some time ago Villanova University won the NCAA Big Four basketball championship, The next year, applications to Villanova rose 40% and they admitted the best class ever in terms of academic qualifications.</p>
<p>the question is why does it even matter- one shouldn’t take into account prestige and stuff you mention in their college search if they do their research right.
if Texas isn’t considered as high up on a rankings list as UNC maybe it’s just because not everyone can be #1’s or #15’s and so on
my question is why are you even complaining about this?</p>
<p>OP wrote: "I’ve begun to notice that while exploring the subject, that while there are a
number of universities that are supposedly considered “top-tier” as far as quality of
education is concerned, I still see that many of these schools (i.e. The University of
Texas-Austin, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Florida etc.) are never
considered in the public’s eye as nearly as good a school as say: The University of
Virginia, or UNC-Chapel Hill, or The University of Michigan. Why is thi s?</p>
<p>I’m not sure what “public eye” you refer to. Since you are on this forum, I can only assume you mean discussions on this forum, and the rankings we most often refer to, which is the USNWR Best Colleges rankings.</p>
<p>for those on this forum, criteria that can influence our perception of how good a school is:</p>
<ol>
<li>25/75 SAT of incoming students</li>
<li>Quality of Faculty, as measured by, among other things, USNWR Peer Assement Rankings, and # of memberships in prestigious academic societies.</li>
<li>Ave. GPA of incoming students</li>
<li>Selectivity of Admissions</li>
<li>Student/Faculty ratio</li>
</ol>
<p>and then some other soft stuff like a long history of prestigious professional schools of Law, Medicine and Business, plus scientific research on government grants, can help build the perception of quality differential between a Florida and a Michigan, for example. I recall Michigan being a top 10 Law School, and Top 15 Business School, for at least the past 30 years, and don’t recall Florida being in the top 30.</p>
<p>If you look at each of the 5 numbered criteria, as well as the soft stuff I mention, I will make a bet, without looking, that Michigan socres better in at least 75% of those.</p>
<p>Also remember that perception of quality changes very, very slowly over time. Michigan was a famous univeristy, much more so than neighbors Northwestern or Notre Dame, for most of the 20th century up into the 1980s. It has a huge history. I am not sure what is the history of Florida, but I don’t think it is anywhere close to comparable.</p>
<p>“When it comes to university rankings, the average American does not look at the USNews rankings. They look at the Sports Illustrated rankings. That is their measure of prestige.”</p>
<p>Good!!! In that case, tOSU is definitely Top-3 (if not #2) this year!!! lol</p>
<p>^oh my, you always have an extra t next to osu, are u trying to start a new acrynom or what? tMSU, tCSU?</p>
<p>Reason #1:</p>
<p>“They are who we thought they were!”</p>