<p>There must be a way to simplify this discussion.
All the universities mentioned are VERY GOOD universities. Berkeley is a very good university. “Even” the undergraduate school is very good.
Berkeley stands alone among public universities in international reputation. But there are other very good universities in the public sector.
It has not been easy even for good students who are smart to get into Berkeley. It’s getting harder all the time.
Is it Harvard? Is it Stanford? Is It the University of Splendid Monkeys? Is it substantive to think about great universities in this way?
When choosing among very good universities think about the location, the financial burden, the faculty, and if this is important to you- the weather and a few incidentals. Rankings, when speaking of top FIFTY even, should be way down. We have many very good universities in this country. The world clearly knows it.</p>