Top 10 California Universities

From the mountains to metropolitan centers, California is home to the most elite universities in the world, with some of the most vibrant and beautiful campuses of higher learning. From liberal arts at Stanford to cutting-edge research at Cal Tech, students encounter high-caliber academics, culturally diverse communities and the natural and cultural resources of California.

Northern California

Stanford University
Located in the western foothills of San Francisco Bay, Stanford University is one of the world's elite academic institutions. Built in 1891, Stanford spans 8,180 beautiful acres in Palo Alto, where students earn undergraduate degrees in the Schools of Humanities and Sciences, Engineering, and Earth Sciences. Four schools offer graduate programs in Business, Education, Law and Medicine. The Stanford University Athletics Department has captured numerous NCAA championships, and honors its many Olympic athletes and medalists.www.stanford.edu.

University of San Francisco
For 150 years, the University of San Francisco has been one of the country's most diverse urban universities in one of the world's most exciting cities. A Jesuit Catholic university with a global perspective, USF has attracted talented teaching scholars who have created a stimulating academic environment. USF's six schools and colleges - Arts & Sciences, Business Management, Education, Law, Nursing and Professional Studies - offer an array of programs to meet expanding intellectual and cultural interests. USF students are inspired by San Francisco's cultural resources and internships. www.usfca.edu

San Francisco State University
Located in southwest San Francisco, San Francisco State is one of the nation's leading public urban universities. Promoting scholarship and human diversity, academics are the heart of SFSU, which offers a spectrum of undergraduate and graduate majors, a full-time faculty, a bustling urban campus just minutes away from downtown and the ocean, 200 student organizations, a line-up of cultural, athletic, academic and performing arts events, and career resources. SFSU athletics consists of 16 NCAA Division II teams for women and men. www.sfsu.edu.

University of California Berkeley
Flagship of the California university system, UC Berkeley is the oldest of the 10 UC campuses and home to numerous world-renown Nobel laureates. Offering over 300 degree programs, Berkeley is respected worldwide for academic excellence and top rankings for undergraduate and graduate programs. Berkeley's history includes a commitment to civil rights, a legacy of innovative thinking, and students who have added to Berkeley's rich intellectual community. Berkeley's excellent research programs give students opportunities to work on groundbreaking studies. Cal Performances brings a variety of music, dance, and theatre from around the world. A member of the PAC-10, UC Berkeley offers men's and women's athletics. Visit www.berkeley.edu.

Central California

University of California Santa Barbara
Situated on 989 acres on the stunning Central California coast, 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles, UCSB was twice named one of the country's hottest colleges in the Newsweek/Kaplan "America's Hottest Colleges" guide in the last five years. UCSB's five schools - College of Creative Studies, College of Engineering, College of Letters and Science, Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, Gevirtz Graduate School of Education - and the prestigious Graduate Division offer students more than 200 majors, degrees, and credentials. In addition to five winners of Nobel Prizes, UCSB's faculty includes elected fellows and outstanding professors. www.ucsb.edu.

University of California Davis
One of the nation's top public research universities, UC Davis is truly one of the last "small-town universities." The campus is set in the heart of the Central Valley on 5,300 acres in beautiful Davis. UC Davis offers more than 110 undergraduate majors and 70-plus graduate programs in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the College of Engineering and the College of Letters and Science. www.ucdavis.com.

Southern California

University of Southern California
Founded in 1880, the University of Southern California is one of the world's leading private research universities. Located in Los Angeles, USC's University Park - adjacent to Exposition Park - is home to the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and 17 professional schools, and the Health Sciences campus is home to the schools of medicine and pharmacy, and three teaching hospitals. USC offers excellence in education, research, and arts, a successful athletic community, the Trojans, and one of the most famous film schools in the world. Visit www.usc.edu.

University of California Los Angeles
Located five miles from the ocean on 419 acres in Los Angeles, UCLA is a public research university featuring the College of Letters and Science and 11 professional schools, including the David Geffen School of Medicine. UCLA offers 25,000 students 118 undergraduate and 200 graduate degree programs, as well as a culturally diverse and vibrant campus community. UCLA's leadership in teaching, research, and public service makes it a beacon of education in California. From water polo to football, the UCLA Bruins touts the most impressive sports history of any college team in the nation since 1950. www.ucla.edu.

California Institute of Technology
The mission of the California Institute of Technology is to expand human knowledge and benefit society through research integrated with education. Cal Tech investigates the most challenging, fundamental problems in science and technology in a singularly collegial, interdisciplinary atmosphere, while educating outstanding students to become creative members of society. Caltech boasts 30 Nobel Prize winners in residence faculty members. www.caltech.edu.

University of California San Diego (UCSD)
Nestled along the Pacific Ocean on 1,200 coastal acres in La Jolla, UCSD delivers an innovative approach to education. Since its founding in 1959, UCSD has become one of the top institutions for higher learning and research in the nation. More than 22,000 students earn undergraduate degrees at its six schools, and UCSD's graduate and professional schools include the famous Scripps Institution of Oceanography and School of Medicine. UCSD was named the "hottest" institution in the nation for students to study science by Newsweek and ranked 7th best public university by U.S. News and World Report. www.ucsd.edu

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