<p>Prestige can be earned in a number of ways. Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama etc. are well known because they are perennial favorites in football, basketball etc. Having a strong sports culture will get you name recognition. On the other end are the academic/social elites. Those might be considered the Ivies, Stanford, MIT and then a whole host of others that as you go down the list become much more regional. I think that when you get into this list (and Case is in the top 50) that it becomes much more about where the student fits within the school environment. Case is a research university. It has more graduate students than undergraduate. As a freshman you will be truly at the bottom of the academic totem pole and even when you graduate you’ll have worked your way up to 40% range. It is not in the position to be as selective as MIT, Duke, Northwestern or Stanford, however, I think that most of the students who attend are driven to excel and the university demands that of them. If having the name universally recognized is important to you then Case may not fit the bill. If getting an education that is amongst the best our universities have to offer then Case is a place a driven student can excel.</p>