Is UCLA better than Harvard?

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The common wisdom says the following:

1) Harvard is better than Stanford
2) Standard is better than Berkeley
3) Berkeley is better than UCLA

But some people question those.

I am guessing though that, whoever questions one of those assertions, wouldn't challenge any of the other ones. Because you see, if you challenge *all* of them *at the same time* you will get that UCLA is better than Harvard, and we all know it's nonesence.

And yes I heard all those arguments that if by "better" you mean student friendly then Harvard won't be on top. But that would be a subject of a different thread. As far as this thread is concerned by "better" I mean high academic standards. And if that's what we mean by better then I assume most of you agree that Harvard is better then UCLA.

But then again you never know. Maybe someone will come along and challenge it.

So let's take a poll and see what happens

UCLA is beautiful so I'll give it top marks there. I've never seen Harvard in person.

I hate to say, but for high pressure program comparisons I consider the suicide rate, the availability of mental health support, the availability of academic accommodations, and the number of students per teaching assistant.

As I said on the OP, what you are taking about is the subject of a different thread. In this thread I am concerned *strictly* with academic standards.

I beg to differ. If students kill themselves, the academic standards mean nothing. The program standards are likely highest at Harvard but it would also vary by department, and it's relative to the amount of support students do / don't receive, including any applicable bell curves.

I like the fact that Harvard has a program to make it affordable to the poor.

https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/ ... ordability

If your family's income is less than $65,000, you'll pay nothing.

Most of the Ivy League schools offer this sliding scale now. I'm sure Stanford and possibly UCLA have the same.

It's a brilliant incentive, regardless.

http://www.admission.ucla.edu/Prospect/ ... bility.pdf
Don't see anything like that on the UCLA web site.

Stanford has a similar program to Harvard
https://financialaid.stanford.edu/under ... index.html

I think it makes a difference for Aspies, as it reduces the multitasking required to get through school.
It is hard enough competing with the best without having to hunt for scholarships(money) and working part time jobs.

100% agreed. These programs didn't exist when I went to Uni but the tuition was also 1000% less (or lower) than now.

I didn't see anything on the UCLA website either, but I did find this encouraging stat:



International or out-of-state students' fees are outrageous especially in the US, so every bit helps even for local kids.

UCLA is a state school----so tuition is much less there.

Stanford has the reputation of being a great STEM school; it's their specialty

Yes but it's still out of reach for many lower-income families, especially with room and board. The sliding scales are tuition-only and I doubt there's much affordable student housing nearby. I'm still glad to see the fee reductions.

I think I told you I looked into international student tuition fees at Pepperdine and nearly had a heart attack.

I'll have to look into this.

If one (or one's parents) makes below a certain level, their tuition is probably almost paid for, or even fully paid for---some grants even include books. There are Pell Grants, what used to be called BEOG. Other grants as well.

I think we're derailing. Sorry QFT.
I do think academic standards need to be measured in comparison to supports, though.

And, of course, you might have eccentric, miscreant professors at Harvard, and excellent professors who are still stuck in Community College.

If you're a top-flight football player, UCLA is MUCH better than Harvard.

If you're into engineering, Stanford is probably better than Harvard.

Harvard is more of an "all-round" sort of school. They are excellent in multiple areas. Stanford is more specialized. UCLA could be a school which guarantees success for someone, where a place like Harvard might stifle that success.

I know a young man who just graduated Harvard Law. Some of his stories about the mistreatment of students' mental health needs terrified me. Quite frankly, I expected more from a school with that reputation for excellence.

I agree. When I was teaching at the community college level, I wrote the recommendation letters that got two of my best students into Cornell University with full ride scholarships. If I did not push them to work harder on their futures, they were just going to go to the local state university. Both of them have since graduated on to good careers. One is doing medical research and the other has his own solar company. None of my fellow university faculty members can say they got their students to move up the ladder quite like that.