UC Newsroom
An online education website that helps students choose a college has named eight UC campuses among the world's top 100 universities.
TheBestSchools.org analyzed the academic prestige, scholarly excellence and intellectual horsepower of the top 100 institutions listed in Shanghai Jiao Tong University's 2014 Academic Ranking of World Universities to form its ratings.
“We researched the most important characteristics of each of the top 100 universities on the list in order to reveal why each university appears where it does,” the site said.
Here is how UC campuses were ranked and some of what TheBestSchools.org had to say about them:
UC Berkeley, fourth
“Berkeley is a state school — albeit one with the elite status of a private school … Student research is encouraged as each year 52 percent of seniors assist their professors in their research … 39 members of the American Philosophical Society, 77 Fulbright Scholars, 32 MacArthur Fellows and 22 Nobel Laureates.”
UCLA, 12th
“With over 72,000 applications for the fall of 2012 alone, UCLA receives more applications than any other school in America … 13 Nobel laureates, 12 Rhodes Scholars, 12 MacArthur Fellows, 10 National Medal of Science winners, three Pulitzer Prize winners, and a Fields Medalist … over 111 NCAA championships.”
UC San Diego, 14th
“The school is one of the 10 largest centers for scientific research in America, which is why it has attracted 16 Nobel Laureates to teach there during the past 50 years. Over 650 companies were launched or utilize technology developed at UC San Diego … (Ranked) first for positive impact on the world (Washington Monthly).”
UC San Francisco, 18th
“… the world’s highest-ranked research university focused on only one field of study: namely medicine … more than 3,000 students are divided into divisions studying medicine, nursing, pharmacy or graduate research, each of which is commended as a national leader in its respective field … Five Nobel laureates.”
UC Santa Barbara, 41st
“One of the most aesthetically stunning campuses in the world … Five Nobel Prize laureates since 1998 … This rapid rise to prominence was rewarded in 1995, when UCSB joined the 62-school Association of American Universities, an honor which less than 2 percent of North American universities enjoy.”
UC Irvine, 48th
"Times Higher Education ranks UC Irvine as the No.1 university under 50 years old, and it was the youngest school to enter the Association of American Universities … (Campus has developed) cutting-edge technology, such as new extremely lightweight but strong materials in resilient micro-lattice metal, or the work of famous computer scientists like Deva Ramanan.”
UC Davis, 55th
“Over 100 undergraduate majors and 90 graduate programs, many of which are nationally and internationally respected … Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital treats 45,000 animals a year, while its Health System treats 6 million people … (West Village) designed to be America’s largest zero net energy community and now serves as a model for sustainable housing development.”
UC Santa Cruz, 93rd
“Many of the schools in this ranking are ancient academies that have shaped the history of science since the enlightenment. The University of California at Santa Cruz, however, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year … A world class faculty … 14 members of national academy of sciences, 26 members of the American Academy of the Arts and Sciences and 35 members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.”
