This thread is starting to feel like squabbling between brothers. Cal and UCLA are both awesome schools and should root for each other. Can we all get back to bashing on USC and Stanford?
I agree. Some friendly ribbing can be fun, but some folks act like they’re being personally attacked whenever someone brings up a ranking. It becomes a big pissing contest between inflated egos. At the end of the day, these rankings can be pretty arbitrary and should be one of the last reasons a student picks a school. And neither Cal or UCLA are at their respective positions because of a few undergrads and alum. Why can’t both schools be great? California deserves multiple wonderful institutions. And luckily that’s exactly what we have. I’d prefer to point the ribbing at USC and Stanford like mentioned above.
USC only ranked 66th in World University Rankings 2018. Most of UCs are higher:
UCLA 15
UCB 18
UCSD 31
UCSB 53
UCD 54
USC 66
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2018/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/locations/US/name/california/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats
Also UCB rank #4, UCLA #5 in money rank, USC no rank
http://time.com/money/best-colleges/rankings/best-colleges/
FWIW, a “surprising” (and increasing) # of local “top tier” prep school “Top 20%” grads have picked UCLA last couple of years (In our LA metro area.) Previous to that, it would have been a real “settle” choice. (which I never understood… but there you go.) I do think even in CA UCLA is starting be seen as on par with Cal, simply by virtue of kids and parents seeing where “top” students are deciding to go. In some ways Westwood is more attractive than Berkeley to SD/LA metro kids - and if they don’t feel UCLA is a “step down” more and more top kids will pick it over Cal when given the choice. Cal still seems to be the international pick hands-down, though.
(as far as SC… WSJ/Times has USC at #15 for US Colleges, UCLA @ #25… hehe… - I love to play the “cherry-picking rankings game” too @UCBalumnus1 )
I found Westwood to be a ghost town on a campus visit weekend a couple of years ago. 9:00 on a Saturday night, a few couples walking around, everyone else in Starbucks, studying. Not the Westwood I grew up knowing (back in the 80’s, so ancient times, when there were a ton of movie theaters because that was the main form of entertainment back then and everybody cruised the area either in cars or on foot). Berkeley seems much more lively, although certainly grittier. There are definitely people I know who got into both who are much better suited to UCLA from a campus culture perspective, which I think is an important part of of a student being successful at any college. Was sure D was going to pick UCLA after Bruin Day, but she went with Cal after all. We’re happy because it’s closer to us and better for her major.
Aren’t we fortunate to have so many top-notch choices in our state?
I’m in my third year as a UCB parent and I could not be happier with the experience. I sent them my talented daughter and they have engaged her in ways I hoped they would. I’ll be forever grateful to Cal and the government of California for creating such a marvelous institution. Athletically, it’s U…C…L…A, UCLA fight fight fight (wife matriculated there and we were season ticket holders while living on the central coast).
This notion that Berkeley has always been considered significantly better than UCLA, and that UCLA is only now starting to improve is ridiculous. Since 1989, Berkeley and UCLA have been ranked by US NEWS within 3-5 spots of each other, with UCLA actually being ranked above Berkeley once or twice in the early years, when it was ALSO ranked above other schools like Penn and Northwestern. (THE HORROR!)
Honestly, if any 18 year old picked where they are going to move to and study for four years because one school is ranked three slots higher than another by an arbitrary magazine, they should have both offers automatically revoked.
@KTJordan78 Ha - you are right, of course.