<p>Actually osucowboys, Michigan is known for having a strong “granola”, “tree hugging” contigent. Not as strong as Cal’s I grant you, but strong nonetheless.</p>
<p>Overall:</p>
<p>Berkeley
UCLA / Michigan
UVa / UNC</p>
<p>
A recent ranking put them as </p>
<p>UNC
Michigan
UCLA
-drop-
Berkeley
UVA</p>
<p><a href=“http://elite50.stack.com/top50.aspx?startnum=1&endnum=10[/url]”>http://elite50.stack.com/top50.aspx?startnum=1&endnum=10</a></p>
<p>Domestic name recognition
Berkeley/UNC
UCLA
Michigan
UVA</p>
<p>International name recognition
Berkeley
UCLA
Michigan
UVA
UNC</p>
<p>IBclass06. You give way too much credit to UVA and UNC for international name recognition. Also, I’d give the edge to Michigan in Europe over UCLA.</p>
<p>Michigan has a very strong reputation in Europe, the Middle East and Japan…possible as strong as Cal’s, definitely stronger than the rest of the publics. UCLA has a very strong reputation in a lot of Pacific rim countries (particularly Korea) and South America.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>He put them dead-last on his list for international recognition, smart one.</p>
<p>^^^^^I think you need to reevaluate your statement osucowboys. IB listed them as dead last of HIS four top schools in terms of international recognition. I can think of quite a few public schools that should be listed above UVA and UNC for international recognition. Thanks for the compliment though. I do feel I am a, “smart one.” ;-)</p>
<p>Novi, I think IBClass was referring purely to the 5 universities of this thread (Cal, Michigan, UCLA, UNC and UVa). I agree that internationally, public universities like UIUC and Wisconsin and even Georgia Tech and UDub, may have an edge over UNC and UVa, but it is debatable.</p>
<p>^ I agree with your post. Internationally, UIUC seems to be quite respected internationally. I think its because of its strong engineering and science programs. UT-Austin is on that level too, internationally.</p>
<p>The differences between these top schools is meaningless. Sure each may have individual areas of specialty and special success but that’s not what this thread is about. </p>
<p>So, the O.P. is talking about the schools generally and generally it doesn’t matter. All strong.</p>
<p>International Name Recognition:</p>
<p>Berkeley
UCLA / Michigan (Before I started to prepare for US colleges, I thought UCLA as a big cloth company.) </p>
<p><em>gap</em></p>
<p>UVa / UNC</p>
<p>Pesonal Preference:</p>
<p>UCLA
UVa / Michigan
Berkeley
UNC</p>
<p>I was at a dinner party with 4 other couples last week in a major East Coast city. The assembled was well-educated for both undergrad and grad with several Ivy colleges represented and several other of the elites, public and private, Several of the families were in the midst of the college admissions process or had just recently completed it with one of their children. </p>
<p>One of the men, a mischievious fellow, posed the question of which is the better school-the University of California or UC Berkeley. The ensuing discussion was hilarious as several took the bait and launched into earnest arguments about which was better. </p>
<p>I, of course, think that UC Berkeley is better 
, but I think that they have a brand problem on the East Coast.</p>
<p>^ What exactly do you mean? That UC Berkeley stands above all the other UCs and even the UC System itself? ;)</p>
<p>UNC probably has the most name recognition in the US, considering that most people either love or hate their basketball team. next would be UCLA, probably.</p>
<p>Berk
and LA</p>