With UCLA’s dethroning as the #1 public university in the United States, especially to be replaced by UC Berkeley, it is clear that the University of California has a strong presence and some of the highest-quality education available to its students. However, it comes to mind what the best UCs are. Although Berkeley is objectively first in the country, it still has room for improvement, according to some of its students. Considering factors such as food, dorms, classes, and social life, these schools differ significantly from one another in many ways. Aspects like this play a prominent role in school life because many students live on or near campus for most of their time there. Although classes are a significant priority, building connections, staying healthy, and maintaining a balanced diet are also crucial for college students.
Starting at the bottom of some of these categories, schools such as UC Merced and UC Riverside are among the lowest-ranked UCs. This does not invalidate their own reputation, as they are still excellent schools in comparison to other state universities; however, relative to the rest of the schools on this list, they are certainly at the bottom. Although it still provides high-quality education, UC Merced, being a relatively new school, faces disadvantages due to its limited variety of classes and academic programs, which may make it less competitive with other UCs. Furthermore, Merced is a less urban town than Los Angeles or Irvine. It creates a more tight-knit social environment and doesn’t encourage students to branch out, which I feel is a priority for college students seeking better opportunities and careers. UC Riverside shares many of the same issues as UC Merced, including a smaller city and less diversity in classes, students, and clubs. It is hard not to take their reputation into account, as many other university students often look down upon both schools; however, I feel that the prestige they have is deserved, considering the weaker aspects of their schools. They are both less competitive as well, making their classes feel weaker in comparison to the other schools. However, since both schools are relatively new, their dorms and food are still of fairly decent quality – even if it doesn’t significantly impact their actual academic life.
Moving further up the list with more well-rounded schools, UC San Diego and UC Irvine deserve an honorable mention as full all-rounder schools. Alumni from UC San Diego shared that the newer colleges in the university provided improved housing situations and even more diverse classes than they already had. Examining the available majors, UC San Diego offers a remarkably broad list and boasts highly rated faculty across the board. Their food is also easily accessible and consistently good, with numerous alternatives available throughout the city due to its urban nature. Although many people call it UC “Socially Dead,” its social life is very impressive in comparison to some of the other schools. The alumni I spoke with explained all the events they attended alongside all the people they met and stayed friends with long after college. Although the campus’s spread-out nature makes it a bit more difficult to stay in one place and speak to someone, it still does not disappoint in providing a welcoming environment and a community. UC Irvine has some of the same factors. Although many people criticize it for its overwhelmingly Asian student population, it is far from disappointing in many other aspects. The food is amazing, and many good food options nearby. The dorms have been decent over the years, and the social life is definitely where UC Irvine shines the most. Many current students and alumni I spoke to built an impressive number of connections and friendships while attending, which have endured and served them well even years later. Their classes are fairly high quality, but Irvine’s specialization in Business and Pharmacy both provide a unique, but trustworthy education for students.
At the top, of course, are UC Berkeley and UCLA. The prestige, the developed campus, and the widely praised food of UCLA make it the top school for me, but UC Berkeley still deserves their spot as the #1 university. UCLA has the best dining hall in the country, and many students from other schools I’ve spoken to agree that it is superior to their own. UC Berkeley has good dorms, good food, and a good social life as well, but I feel that the reputation of UCLA and its general campus environment edge it out as the first choice. According to a current Berkeley student and Quartz Hill alumnus, the school deserves its reputation, despite some weaker aspects, such as the food and classes. These schools do not require nearly as much explanation as the others due to their already very prominent reputation and massive prestige.
Overall, if you’re considering attending a UC, it should fit your personality and learning style. All of these schools still fully deserve their praise and should be considered as places where someone can build their future, rather than just a “dream” school or a safety net. However, as someone with connections to students at most of these schools, it is necessary to provide more details on what makes them weaker schools than some of the others, disregarding their name or acceptance rate.