<p>In terms of research schools, I would say UCLA is miles and miles and miles and miles ahead of USC. UCLA produces amazing research; USC just produces wealthy alumni. Being rich != being intelligent.</p>
<p>But if you want to get rich, then go to USC. If you’re into the whole academic community/changing the world/living a meaningful life thing… Then go to UCLA! (Can you tell I’m biased? haha)</p>
<p>This is what a UCLA education gets you (Matt Barnes):</p>
<p><a href=“http://i45.■■■■■■■.com/59ucms.gif[/url]”>http://i45.■■■■■■■.com/59ucms.gif</a></p>
<p>The uncanny inability to make Kobe Bryant flinch.</p>
<p>^ fake</p>
<p>10 char</p>
<p>I thought so too, but here’s the clip.</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Matt Barnes tries to intimidate Kobe (Ball Fake)](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOuOdZiernA&feature=player_embedded]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOuOdZiernA&feature=player_embedded)</p>
<p>oh thats pretty tight then haha</p>
<p>After hours spent in deep thought, pondering this question, I’ve made my own ranking:</p>
<ol>
<li>Pomona</li>
<li>Pomona</li>
<li>Pomona</li>
<li>Pomona</li>
<li>Pomona</li>
</ol>
<p>It’s just that awesome.</p>
<p>^^ Haha so ironic. I just looked into freshman tour dates/times for my sister who is applying to Pomona College. I’ve only heard amazing things about it. Anyway, I’ll post my Top 5:</p>
<p>1) Stanford
2) Caltech
3) Berkeley
4/5) Pomona or UCLA (interchangeable).</p>
<p>The best schools in California are more divided into tiers instead of rigid number rankings. Here’s how it’s probably more like, regardless of number of students or whatever, just based on pure academics, post-degree success, graduate feeding and ranking:</p>
<p>Tier 1 - Stanford, CalTech, Pomona/Claremont McKenna (together because it depends on your aspirations: Pomona is the best humanities LAC in the country and Claremont McKenna, along with Williams College, is the best law school feeder LAC in the country)</p>
<p>Tier 2 - Berkeley and UCLA
Tier 3 - USC, UCSD, Cal Poly SLO, University of Redlands</p>
<p>Tier 4 - UCSB, Cal State Fullerton, SF State, UCD, Pitzer, Scripps, UCI
Tier 5 - The rest of the state schools like UCR, UCM, CSUN, CSULA etc.</p>
<p>Tier 6 - Community Colleges (great feeder schools for transfer students)</p>
<p>@ thelongshot: I’m just curious, but why do you have Pomona ranked higher than UCB? You said that you weren’t factoring in number of students, and basing your tiers off of pure academics, grad school admit rates, etc. Cal has so many distinguished departments and professors. Maybe it has low admit rates to grad school? I’m just wondering lol not challenging.</p>
<p>Not buying that Pomona/Claremont McKenna provide a better education than UCB and UCLA.</p>
<p>Both are very good at what they do.</p>
<p>UCLA and Berkeley are top flight research universities, while CMC and Pomona are top flight liberal arts colleges.</p>
<p>I personally prefer LACs at the undergraduate level (hence my decision to attend CMC) but many people prefer larger schools. Though schools like Berkeley/UCLA have elite faculty, I didn’t really think I would have all that much opportunity to interact with them as an undergraduate. </p>
<p>UCB/UCLA/CMC/Pomona all will provide an outstanding education. It all comes down to preference.</p>
<p>USC is not recognized world wide like Stanford, Cal, Cal Tech and UCLA are. See Times QS world rankings (compiled from multiple different sources across the globe)</p>
<p>@emilsinclair - theajay 89 provided a pretty good answer for it but there’s a couple reasons:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Pomona and Claremont McKenna were just flat out ranked higher thank UC Berkeley and UCLA (21 and 17 vs. 23 and 28 respectively). </p></li>
<li><p>Claremont McKenna especially is yearly ranked as one of the top 5 feeders into the top 25 law schools and political science/economics graduate programs in the country. UCLA and UCB do not.</p></li>
<li><p>Pomona is consistently top 5 in the country in admission into the best humanities and social science graduate programs in the country as well.</p></li>
<li><p>Any East Coast person will tell you that for an undergraduate career a LAC is just flat out better than a big university education. People consistently choose Wellesley and Amherst over Harvard and Yale over in that part of the country. The trend just hasn’t happened here yet.</p></li>
<li><p>But in fairness, the top 5 or 6 schools in California (Stanford, CalTech, Berkeley, UCLA, Claremont McKenna, Pomona) are all pretty much interchangeable as far as how great of a reputation and education you will receive depending on your preference and they are all top 30 schools in the nation and top 50/75 schools in the world so at the end of the day it’s about what you feel it right. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>:)</p>
<p>^^^ very good post. but you forgot about harvey mudd (probably the best engineering lac)</p>
<p>Cal state fullerton in the the tier 4?? really?? along with Davis, Scripps, Pitzer, UCI. Seems out of place if you ask me</p>
<p>who has the smartest undergrads based on SAT scores:</p>
<p>1) Stanford
2) Cal Tech
3) Pomona
4) USC
5) Cal
6) UCLA
7) UCSD
8) Davis</p>
<p>cal and ucla have great grad programs built on massive amounts of tax payers money, but do they really have a “world class” undergrad program…which is now a 5 year program because of cutbacks and over crowding? And I’m a Cal fan, but it is NOT what it used to be</p>
<p>SAT scores as a base for ranking is ill-advised and wildly incomplete.</p>
<p>Yes, Cal State Fullerton is by far the best CSU and consistenly has humanities and social science programs that rank with Pitzer, Scripps and the mid-low level UCs</p>
<p>And yes, Harvey Mudd is a fantastic engineering and science school with a similar reputation to that of CalTech amongst LAC circles.</p>
<p>@ thelongshot: Nice response, and I agree with alot of what you said. I completely agree that the 6 you mentioned are the top 6 in California.</p>
<p>“Fullerton is by far the best CSU”</p>
<p>Cal Poly Slo is by far a better school in my opinion.</p>
<p>California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo is not a CSU Accreditation school per se. Besides, you are correct which is why in my original “tier” breakdown post I put Cal Poly SLO in Tier 3 with UCSD, USC, etc. and Cal State Fullerton in Tier 4.</p>
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