Who’s No. 1? UCLA and UC Berkeley stake their claims on social media

Who’s No. 1?

UCLA and UC Berkeley can’t appear to agree. In actual fact, they refuse to again down from a prime spot.

When U.S. Information and World Report launched its international rankings final month, Cal was the primary public college to seem on the listing — despite the fact that it was technically ranked No. 6 — behind 5 non-public campuses, together with Harvard, MIT and Stanford.

However being the highest public college to pop up on the worldwide listing was sufficient for Berkeley, resulting in an avalanche of social media boasts for the oldest UC campus.

“#1 public” UC Berkeley posted on its Instagram and TikTok accounts, with a photograph of Oski the Bear and the hashtag “#HolyAirBall,” a reference to a meme about severely underestimating somebody’s expertise or accomplishments.

To not be usurped, UCLA inside days started posting by itself socials: “Nonetheless #1,” it stated, citing one other U.S. Information nationwide rating of public universities that got here out 9 months in the past and put the Bruins as the highest public campus within the nation.

Followers and alumni of each colleges have been sparring ever since.

“Wow, UCLA actually takes these rankings very severely,” wrote a consumer on the Berkeley Reddit group.

Berkeley followers have flooded UCLA’s Instagram, with GIFs of Oski the Bear dancing.

“Lol UCLA and Berkeley each posting they’re #1,” commented an Instagram follower who has levels from each campuses.

“UCLA #1 in nationwide rankings — the one that really issues 😇” stated one of many most-liked feedback on Berkeley’s TikTok publish about its rank.

“Meh. UCLA all day day-after-day,” went a TikTok remark, whereas one other made an commentary: “Rattling, so many insecure UCLA trolls right here within the feedback freaking out.”

The UC Berkeley Chancellor, Wealthy Lyons, has even chimed in.

“We admire UCLA’s eagerness to take a single rating for its undergraduate program and use it for all it’s value,” Lyons, a 1982 Berkeley alumnus, stated to The Occasions. “We all know how difficult a sibling rivalry could be for the youthful sibling. Go Bears (and Bruins).”

Mary Osako, a 1996 UCLA alumna and the varsity’s Vice Chancellor of Strategic Communications, shot again, citing the campus rating as the highest public on the U.S. Information nationwide listing for a number of years.

“Bruins all over the place love celebrating our No. 1 rating — we’ve been diligently doing so for eight years, however who’s counting?” she stated. “Our playful banter might have ruffled just a few (golden) feathers. UCLA and Cal are each prime public universities which are altering the world for the higher. Bruin or Bear, we are able to all be pleased with that.”

The colleges which have lengthy competed for professors, college students, athletes and federal grants. Add rankings to the listing.

UCLA college students in entrance of the Bruin Bear statue.

(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Occasions)

However what provides? Is there actually a No. 1?

The U.S. Information and World Report rankings differ in methodology and scope. The worldwide listing, which checked out 2,250 establishments — non-public and public — centered on educational analysis, together with citations, and regional popularity. It’s alleged to be an general evaluation that isn’t based mostly on graduate or undergraduate packages alone.

On the worldwide listing, UCLA ranked because the third-best public college within the nation. College of Washington in Seattle was the No. 2 public college.

The nationwide listing of public schools and universities zeroed in on the undergraduate expertise at 1,500 campuses, weighing areas together with commencement charges, first-year retention, how nicely college students from lower-income households carry out and the outcomes of “peer evaluation” surveys despatched to school presidents, provosts and deans of admissions.

On that tally, Berkeley took second place behind UCLA. The 2 rivals have been neck and neck for a number of years, together with a #1 tie in 2023.

The rankings are widespread — many campuses within the nation covet the lists — and controversial.

Through the years, a number of outstanding skilled colleges have pulled out of offering knowledge to the the U.S. Information legislation college rankings. In 2022, UCLA and UC Irvine legislation college deans stated they’d boycott the rankings due to the group’s methodology, which they stated disincentivized college students who launched into public service careers. That yr, former U.S. Schooling Secretary Miguel Cardona stated undergraduate rankings had been a “joke” as a result of they push colleges to sport the system.

There’s additionally a competing world of list-makers. A few of the hottest ones: Wall Road Journal’s “finest schools,” Forbes’ “America’s prime schools,” and for worldwide rankings, Occasions Greater Schooling and QS “world college rankings.”

“There are lots of rankings, every has a barely totally different focus, and every with its personal supply of noise,” stated UC Berkeley Chancellor Lyons, who carries a rankings desk in his coat pocket that reveals Berkeley’s scores. “The extra sturdy image is a weighted common throughout them.”

College students stroll by way of Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley.

(Eric Risberg / Related Press)

Within the enterprise of school rating providers — that are themselves vying to carve out widespread niches — each UCs are inclined to fare fairly nicely, although Berkeley does beat Westwood general.

• On the Wall Road Journal listing, Berkeley is No. 8 whereas UCLA is No. 68. The Journal accounts strongly for estimates of how a lot attending a sure college will have an effect on a graduate’s wage.
• Forbes places the Bears at No. 5 and Bruins at No. 13. Forbes listing closely weighs whether or not a faculty’s alumni seem on a “Forbes American Leaders” listing.
• The Occasions Greater Schooling ranks Berkeley at No. 8, 10 notches above Westwood.
• On the QS tally, Cal is No. 17, whereas UCLA is No. 46. The Occasions Greater Schooling and QS rankings, which have a global angle, look carefully at educational analysis.

Soubhik Barari, a analysis methodologist at NORC on the College of Chicago, has studied school rankings and co-wrote a 61-page paper final yr analyzing the most important school lists.

What he discovered is that none are excellent. Many change how they a lot they weigh various factors or what they take a look at from year-to-year. They usually don’t account for uncertainty or margin or error, he stated.

“So many individuals take note of these school rankings,” stated Barari. “It’s not all the time clear what they’re measuring. Are you measuring the perfect school for the typical school pupil? Are you measuring it based mostly on different elements that you just assume are necessary for increased schooling? Are you trying on the median school pupil? Are you taking a look at home college students or worldwide college students?”

Barari, a Tufts College undergrad alum with graduate levels from Harvard, steered away from taking a facet within the UC rivalry.

The Bruins vs. Bears competitors appears nowhere close to its finish, with the rating brags persevering with on social media and campus web sites.

When UCLA posted on TikTok lately about its No. 1 spot, the most-liked remark stated, “NOT no 1 🤣 🤣.”

The second-most favored remark? “I assumed #1 was Berkeley.”

When Berkeley made an analogous publish to its TikTok, responses got here in from the opposite path.

“Love the arrogance however no ❤️.”

“That’s superior! What concerning the #2 you guys posted on ur Instagram 😉. 8 years straight child,” stated an apparent UCLA lover, referring to an older Berkeley publish about being the No. 2 public on the U.S. Information nationwide listing.

Nonetheless, the charts — and stacks of functions — present that each campuses are fascinating locations to land.

The 2 colleges additionally share much more in widespread than they let on.

In any case, isn’t a Bruin a Bear?