Just some more info on this issue in a NYT article.
“Why You Can’t Catch Up”
“Tier 1 consists of major private research institutions like Yale, Johns Hopkins and New York University. Tier 2 schools are selective private liberal arts colleges like Middlebury and Vassar. Tier 3 are major public research universities, among them most of the University of California system. The remainder — less research intensive and selective, like Middle Tennessee State, Golden Gate University or the for-profit Grand Canyon University — fall into Tier 4.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/03/education/edlife/why-you-cant-catch-up.html