What are the best Public Universities or top public schools in the U.S.?

[RML]

<p>No offense to TOSU; I think it’s a good public school. But if I’m an elite student with superb stats there’s no way that I’ll be thinking of going to TOSU.</p>

<p>Berkeley, Michigan & Virginia – are solid top 3 public universities. They’re all flagship campuses of their respective States and can attract the best students.</p>

[Sparkeye7]

<p>^^ There are over 7,000 Honors College students at TOSU, as elite and superb as any of those “big-3” students mentioned above. The capacity of UCB + UVA = the student body of TOSU. AT TOSU, we offer roulghly 200 undergraduate majors with 19 colleges. There is simply no comparison! We are THE public university in the country, period.</p>

<p>Up-and-Coming lol</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.bfhstudios.com/blog/tag/the-ohio-state-university/[/url]”>http://www.bfhstudios.com/blog/tag/the-ohio-state-university/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>P.S. I’ve already proven that both UNC and UVA are no match for TOSU based on NRC ratings.</p>

[UCBChemEGrad]

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-michigan-ann-arbor/1241939-university-michigans-academic-power-rating.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-michigan-ann-arbor/1241939-university-michigans-academic-power-rating.html&lt;/a&gt;

COMBINED AVERAGE IN THE 12 TRADITIONAL DISCIPLINES:
#1 University of California-Berkeley 96.17</p>

<h1>2 Stanford University 96.00</h1>

<h1>3 Harvard University 93.00</h1>

<h1>4 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 92.09</h1>

<h1>5 Princeton University 91.50</h1>

<h1>6. Yale University 87.33</h1>

<p>#7. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 86.84</p>

<h1>8 Columbia University 86.50</h1>

<h1>8 University of Chicago 86.50</h1>

<h1>10 Cornell University 84.67</h1>

<p>#11 University of California-Los Angeles 83.84
#12 University of Wisconsin-Madison 83.67</p>

<h1>13 University of Pennsylvania 82.17</h1>

<p>**#14 University of Texas-Austin 80.50</p>

<h1>15 University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill 80.40**</h1>

<h1>16 Northwestern University 79.94</h1>

<h1>17 Duke University 78.10

</h1>

<p>UCLA is closer to Wisconsin than Michigan.</p>

<p>~ 2,000 academics and public Gallup polls seem to agree as well.

1. Harvard University (4.9/5.0)
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (4.9/5.0)
3. Princeton University (4.9/5.0)
4. Stanford University (4.9/5.0)
5. Yale University (4.8/5.0)
   6. University of California-Berkeley (4.7/5.0)
6. California Institute of Technology (4.6/5.0)
7. Columbia University (4.6/5.0)
8. Cornell University (4.6/5.0)
9. Johns Hopkins University (4.6/5.0)
10. University of Chicago (4.6/5.0)
    12. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (4.5/5.0)
11. University of Pennsylvania (4.5/5.0)
12. Brown University (4.4/5.0)
13. Duke University (4.4/5.0)
14. Northwestern University (4.4/5.0)
15. Dartmouth College (4.3/5.0)
    17. University of Virginia (4.3/5.0)
16. Carnegie Mellon University (4.2/5.0)
    **19. University of California-Los Angeles (4.2/5.0)
17. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (4.2/5.0)**

</p>

[RML]

<p>Sparkeye7, there are nearly as many elite students at Texas-Austin or UIUC as there are at Berkeley but I doubt if anyone would argue that either of those schools is superior to Berkeley in terms of academic prestige and brand power. TOSU isn’t any different from UIUC or Texas-Austin as an example to compete against Berkeley or Michigan or UVa in this argument.</p>

<p>Again, TOSU is a good school. I just don’t think it is as elite as the “Big 3” publics.</p>

[Sparkeye7]

<p>@RML,</p>

<p>"TOSU isn’t any different from UIUC or Texas-Austin as an example to compete against Berkeley or Michigan or UVa in this argument.</p>

<p>Again, TOSU is a good school. I just don’t think it is as elite as the “Big 3” publics."</p>

<p>Definitely agree!! Although TOSU still has higher number of student body than either UIUC or UTA (5,000 to 15,000 more). I am not certain if the word “elite” would go hand-in-hand with “public,” but I do agree that “Big 2” (I refuse to acknowledge UVA > TOSU in terms of overall academics) and perhaps UCLA (although offers only 127 undergraduate majors, its faculties are outstanding imho) are certainly more academically prestigious / elite than TOSU. However, Ohio State is certainly ‘Up-and-Coming.’</p>

[warblersrule]

<p>

@Sparkeye7

We are THE Aircraft Carrier of the American Higher Education!

The wording of this claim was hilarious to me. I think that’s one of my favorite one-liners on here I’ve seen. </p>

<p>

@UCBChemEGrad

UCLA is closer to Wisconsin than Michigan.

The PA assessment can’t seem to make up its mind whether it’s measuring undergraduate or graduate quality. Berkeley gets a very high score based on its academic strength, yet Brown gets a higher PA score than Wisconsin or Texas? It’s an extremely vague measure of quality at best.</p>

<p>UCLA and Michigan are about as close academically as any two universities can get. While I am not surprised that RML’s unbridled lust for Berkeley would lead him to downplay UCLA, you should know better.</p>

<p>Old NRC rankings</p>

<p>Arts & Humanities</p>

<h1>11 UCLA</h1>

<h1>12 Michigan</h1>

<p>Biological Sciences</p>

<h1>16 UCLA</h1>

<h1>17 Michigan</h1>

<p>Engineering </p>

<h1>8 Michigan</h1>

<h1>19 UCLA</h1>

<p>Physical Sciences & Math</p>

<h1>13 UCLA</h1>

<h1>24 Michigan</h1>

<p>Social Sciences</p>

<h1>3 Michigan</h1>

<h1>7 UCLA</h1>

<p>Non-zero Scores</p>

<h1>12 Michigan</h1>

<h1>13 UCLA</h1>

<p>Overall Scores</p>

<h1>3 Michigan</h1>

<h1>6 UCLA</h1>

<p>[NRC</a> Rankings](<a href=“NRC Rankings”>NRC Rankings)</p>

<p>AWRU rankings</p>

<p>Natural Sciences & Math</p>

<h1>12 UCLA</h1>

<h1>22 Michigan</h1>

<p>Engineering</p>

<h1>7 Michigan</h1>

<h1>26 UCLA</h1>

<p>Life Sciences</p>

<h1>22 UCLA</h1>

<h1>28 Michigan</h1>

<p>Medicine</p>

<h1>7 UCLA</h1>

<h1>12 Michigan</h1>

<p>Social Sciences</p>

<h1>11 Michigan</h1>

<h1>13 UCLA</h1>

<p>[Academic</a> Ranking of World Universities | ARWU | First World University Ranking | Shanghai Ranking](<a href=“http://www.shanghairanking.com/index.html]Academic”>ShanghaiRanking)</p>

<p>New NRC rankings</p>

<p>

Berkeley ranks first among U.S. universities in the number of highly ranked graduate programs. In a report published in September 2010, the National Research Council (NRC) placed 48 out of 52 ranked UC Berkeley doctoral programs within the top 10 nationally. This compared to 46 of 52 programs for Harvard University, which came in second, and 40 of 59 programs for UCLA, in third place.

</p>

<p>[Berkeley</a> Research in Numbers | Research](<a href=“http://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/berkeley-research-numbers]Berkeley”>http://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/berkeley-research-numbers)</p>

[RML]

<p>Sparkeye7, what I’m trying to say is if we would conduct a survey of the best public universities in the US to the students at HYPSM, and ask them to come up with a top 3 list… I’m pretty confident that the names: “Berkeley, Michigan and Virginia” would occupy the top 3 list as they’re schools close to, or even peers of, some Ivies. TOSU would not even make it in the top 5. UCLA, Texas-Austin, UIUC, Penn State, Georgia Tech, UCSB, UCSD, UC Irvine, UC Davis, Florida, Washington and Purdue may perhaps score better than TOSU.</p>

[RML]

<p>

I am not certain if the word “elite” would go hand-in-hand with "public

</p>

<p>Of course, it does! </p>

<p>I seriously think Berkeley is as elite as the lower Ivies. For example, there are many more people in the world who think Berkeley is more elite than Cornell or Brown. I personally think Virginia is not any different from Brown or Cornell, in terms of overall prestige. Michigan is largely as elite as Cornell. And, if I am a serious student who wish to become successful in the field of banking or politics or law, I’d rather go to Berkeley than Cornell or Brown. And, Cornell and Brown are viewed world-wide as super elite schools as they are Ivy League member schools.</p>

[beyphy]

<p>I take it you forgot what you posted in page 1?</p>

<p>

@UCBChemEGrad

The Big Three Public Research Universities:
Berkeley
Michigan
Wisconsin

</p>

<p>

@UCBChemEGrad

The University of Michigan’s academic power rating

:
COMBINED AVERAGE IN THE 12 TRADITIONAL DISCIPLINES:
#1 University of California-Berkeley 96.17</p>

<h1>2 Stanford University 96.00</h1>

<h1>3 Harvard University 93.00</h1>

<h1>4 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 92.09</h1>

<h1>5 Princeton University 91.50</h1>

<h1>6. Yale University 87.33</h1>

<p>#7. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 86.84</p>

<h1>8 Columbia University 86.50</h1>

<h1>8 University of Chicago 86.50</h1>

<h1>10 Cornell University 84.67</h1>

<p>**#11 University of California-Los Angeles 83.84</p>

<h1>12 University of Wisconsin-Madison 83.67**</h1>

<h1>13 University of Pennsylvania 82.17</h1>

<h1>14 University of Texas-Austin 80.50</h1>

<h1>15 University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill 80.40</h1>

<h1>16 Northwestern University 79.94</h1>

<h1>17 Duke University 78.10

</h1>

<p>UCLA is closer to Wisconsin than Michigan.

</p>

<p>so how exactly is wisconsin part of the ‘big three’ when UCLA is ranked higher than it?</p>

<p>i already dealt with my so-called ‘berkeley bias’ in an earlier post. Among academics, the quality difference between berkeley and UCLA is negligible at best. This is confirmed by the rankings which i’ve provided.</p>

<p>

The super-heavy weight students of the world are thinking of going into MBA or Law (they’re elite programs for very elite students.) In those areas, the “big 3” public elites (Berkeley, Michigan, Virginia) are superior to UCLA.

</p>

<p>These are just a few professional schools. I wouldn’t say that UCLA is better than princeton just because it has a medical school and princeton doesn’t. And because medical schools are what the “super-heavy weight students of the world are thinking of going into.” Such an argument would be absurd and anyone who made it would be laughed at, or thought to be ■■■■■■■■. Even if michigan or UVa are better than UCLA in some professional schools, UCLA is overall a better institution.</p>

<p>

@RML

if we would conduct a survey of the best public universities in the US to the students at HYPSM, and ask them to come up with a top 3 list… I’m pretty confident that the names: “Berkeley, Michigan and Virginia” would occupy the top 3 list as they’re schools close to, or even peers of, some Ivies.

</p>

<p>This is nothing more than conjecture. And even if it were true, which i doubt, numbers are more clear than any people’s opinions. Whatever institution they might be affiliated with. UCLA might not be talked about as much as berkeley might be talked about at Harvard or at Columbia, but i wouldn’t doubt that they talk about UCLA at JHU, and Stanford.</p>

<p>UCLA is, contrary to what some people on this board think, one of the best universities (public or not) in the world.</p>

[Sparkeye7]

<p>“The wording of this claim was hilarious to me. I think that’s one of my favorite one-liners on here I’ve seen.”</p>

<p>Thanks, warblersrule!! Very fitting, don’t you think? The slightly smaller Publics are Destroyers! And the top national privates are Submarines, top liberal arts colleges are fighter jets relatively speaking to their power & capacity. :p</p>

<p>"I am not certain if the word “elite” would go hand-in-hand with “public”</p>

<p>Well, I tend to associate the word “elite” with the top privates, UCB is quite prestigious in my eyes.</p>

<p>“What are the best Public Universities or top public schools in the U.S.?”</p>

<p>The original question was in plural not just Top-3. So, I would certainly include TOSU, as it is truly the up-and-coming top public school in the country.</p>

<p>“Texas-Austin, UIUC, Penn State, Georgia Tech, UCSB, UCSD, UC Irvine, UC Davis, Florida, Washington and Purdue may perhaps score better than TOSU.”</p>

<p>hmm… I see the word ‘may’… Why target only to private HYPSM students for an opinion on public schools? Why not just ask academic peers or general publics for a Midwestern school like Ohio State? Harvard is Harvard, no matter whom or where you ask! THAT is true power!! :)</p>

<p>P.S. Of the 11 schools listed above, only 4 with slightly higher ‘Undergraduate Academic Reputation Index’ than TOSU based on USNWR. Go Bucks!! lol</p>

[UCBChemEGrad]

<p>Beyphy, that was my personal observation. Wisconsin has better programs than UCLA, that I respect. I believe Wisconsin also exceeds UCLA in research ($ and volume)…and Wisconsin is a founding member of the AAU. UCLA wasn’t invited until the 1980s.</p>

[UCBChemEGrad]

<p>Berkeley and UCLA may be academically close in terms of undergraduate student body strength…but Berkeley greatly exceeds UCLA in academic departments and faculty…two HUGE areas that make up a university.</p>

[UCBChemEGrad]

<p>Beyphy, there was a very old thread (may have been locked) titled something like “why does UCLA suck so much”…it was started by a UCLA student. It could provide some educational info. :-)</p>

[beyphy]

<p>

Beyphy, that was my personal observation. Wisconsin has better programs than UCLA, that I respect. I believe Wisconsin also exceeds UCLA in research ($ and volume)…and Wisconsin is a founding member of the AAU. UCLA wasn’t invited until the 1980s.

</p>

<p>fair enough. It’s still an insult to UCLA to not include it as one of the “big 3 public research universities” especially when the evidence clearly supports that it is. </p>

<p>Perhaps you meant “public universities” which are lauded for their research (for which Wisconsin might be ranked higher than UCLA) as opposed to “public research universities” which are lauded for being good universities (where UCLA would surely trump Wisconsin.) The distinction is important since UCLA is one of the big three publics and it’s a research university, although it may not be one of the big three public universities in terms of research.</p>

<p>

Berkeley greatly exceeds UCLA in academic departments and faculty…two HUGE areas that make up a university.

</p>

<p>I agree. in the THE rankings, berkeley is ranked no. 1 in terms of research. (as opposed to UCLA which is no. 8) yet, as i said, there’s clearly more to a university than this. That’s why, despite this, berkeley is still ranked no. 10 overall in the ranking as opposed to UCLA which is ranked no. 13; in terms of research, Caltech is ranked no. 4, but no.1 overall in the ranking.</p>

<p>

Beyphy, there was a very old thread (may have been locked) titled something like “why does UCLA suck so much”…it was started by a UCLA student. It could provide some educational info.

</p>

<p>hahaha. Maybe i’ll look it up after finals :p</p>

[UCBChemEGrad]

<p>Good luck with finals…and your game against the condoms. I hear you guys are gonna wear all white storm trooper uniforms.</p>

[UCBChemEGrad]

<p>And Congrats on making it to the inaugural Pac-12 championship game…may end up keeping Neuweasel.</p>

[rjkofnovi]

<p>^^^I can’t believe a school with a 6-5 record has a chance to win the P12 championship!</p>

[UCBChemEGrad]

<p>They lose to USC and they’re still in it…with a 6-6 record.</p>

[rjkofnovi]

<p>“Even if michigan or UVa are better than UCLA in some professional schools, UCLA is overall a better institution.”</p>

<p>I can understand the UVa comment, but not sure how you say UCLA is an overall better institution than Michigan.</p>

[beyphy]

<p>

Good luck with finals…and your game against the condoms. I hear you guys are gonna wear all white storm trooper uniforms.

</p>

<p>Heh, i’m wondering whether you’re still bitter about the UCLA-Cal game. Are you secretly hoping that USC destroys UCLA? Lol. I’ll take your comment as sincere nevertheless though :D</p>

<p>i heard they’re going to wear white too. It’ll surely be a fun game tomorrow.</p>

<p>and thanks for your well wishes :)</p>