What university do you think is overall (academics, athletics, etc.) the best?
460348
As an alum of Stanford University I can give you a first hand description of what a lot of people consider to be the best all around university in the US.  First the academics are top notch; if you're a grad student in certain fields.  What has really garnered Stanford a superb academic reputation, in my opinion, has been the strength of their graduate programs such as computer science, law, school of medicine, and cutting edge bio-technology programs.  To be fair, the University has put in a lot of effort at shoring up their undergraduate program as well, but there are certainly some departments out there that don't feel this as much as others.  \n\nAs far as an athletic program, Stanford is really the best all around athletic university and has been for quite some time now.  They've won the Sears cup for about a decade now and the number of Olympians on campus really is staggering.  However, if you're really into football then you might have another opinion since the football team hasn't enjoyed as much success as other programs on campus such as track & field or a lot of the aquatic sports.\n\nIf you're taking into account the weather, then aside from some rain during the middle of the academic year this is a great place to hit the books.  Early fall, late winter and all of spring quarter you can see tons of students literally just outside the library studying on the many grassy lawns on campus.  The heat isn't harsh and when it gets "cold" it will dip as far as the 50's or so during the day on the most miserable of days.  Not bad at all when compared to peer Universities in the Northeast such as Harvard or Yale.\n\nStudent life leaves something to be desired as most of the sudent body lives on campus.  That means that all of the parties are on campus and thus subject to University guidelines.  The upside though, is that the University is pretty lenient on most issues aside from RA's serving alcohol to frosh and observance of quiet hours.  In addition to this, parties are always within walking distance, so you can get trashed on a friday night without having to worry about a designated driver.  Though, if you don't have a car, getting past the same ol' frat party on campus can be a challenge.\n\nAttitudes on campus are pretty laid back, but that doesn't mean people aren't competitive.  Stanford culture has it that it's not polite to talk about your accomplishments or boast in any way.  It's pretty much assumed that you're eating dinner next to some kid that invented something, won some national competition or is on her way to becoming a nobel laureate, but no one is supposed to really brag about it.  What results is this mentality where everyone tries to one-up each other on how lazy she is, complaining about lack of sleep and a general disdain for grades.  \n\nAs far as cultural diversity, the University tries to pride itself on admitting a diverse student body.  The University also tries to foster student groups that explore various cultural traditions.  They have lots of money set aside for this and if you get a group of friends together and have a great idea, then the University will probably fund it.  This goes beyond cultural activities and is true for any sort of club as well as research endeavors.  In that respect the University is excellent in that if you are motivated about any research or extracurricular activity you can probably get funding from the University for it.\n\nThese are some of the points that I can think of off the top of my head and I think that if they don't make Stanford the best University around, then they certainly make it an extremely well-rounded school that is definitely in the running.
398590
University of Phoenix is pretty good, but you have to realize the limitations of the medium.  I found it pretty frustrating in that they want you to work in teams, and people are in different time zones.  Also, the kind of people who attend an on-line university are busy people, and perhaps people who haven't traditionally had a lot of commitment to their education, so that makes their commitment to the team kind of questionable.
554319
I'd say Texas, they do have the best team. It really depends on what you mean as the best.  From what I understood, go for Texas.
812458
Seattle Pacific University!  It has an excellent academic reputation and has had national championships multiple times.
366252
UC Berkeley, hands-down, is the best public university.  That's why UC Berkeley is the only UC school who gets to call themselves simply "University of California."  That's why when you say I go to "Cal" it means UC Berkeley.  Each state designates one university to be the flagship state university, and in California "Cal" is the one.  Cal also remains the highest ranked UC in all major ranking publications.\n\nP.S. However, if you are considering private schools (i.e. Cal Tech, Stanford), that's another story.
320539
In CA, the best would be USC or UCLA.\n\nHowever, there are a lot of other good schools not in California if you would be interested, including Columbia University, NYU, Ithaca College, and Weseleyan University.  Hope these names are something different than what you've been hearing. Vote me for best answer! :)
610890
It depends on what field you are looking for. In engineering Berkeley was rated as top university.  But I think overall Harvard is the best in the world.
391283
My daughter went to SCU and loved it.  Quality education, good social groups and a ton of fun.  UCI's having a bunch of trouble and controversy these days.
594605
Since all Universities in the world had different ways of teaching its student, there isn't actually the "best." It's just depend on your opinion. My opinion is that in the US, the best one is either Harvard University or John Hopkins University. In UK, I think its Cambridge University and Oxford University. All of the schools that I mentioned offers international students some form of financial aid. Contact them for more info.
737927
The Best is IIT. But it depends upon u. If u study with devotion any university will be best for u.
461663
Davis is better - its a top 50 school and has better professors. In just about every department (even engineering - YES THAT'S RIGHT) davis is better.
4149
Texas Tech has one of the best offenses in the country, and a top-25 defense. Alabama has the best defense, and a top-25 offense. My vote goes to Tech...but then I'm biased.
615482
top college and easy access. huh....\nmy suggestion is about your merit for that college.\nnow a days all colleges and universities has become top because of multiple facilities they have adopted. take admission in any uk`s universities.
810848
University of Michigan and Penn State both meet your criteria.
317240
for me its MANCHESTER BUSINESS SCHOOL-U.K.\nbecause I sense it that you can excel and make it with that! trust me my friend. great power comes with great responsibilty!
30193
I'd say Berkeley or UCSD, especially since both are in areas with a great deal of industry in the biotech sector.\n\nEdit: I think James gives UCSD waaaay too little credit.  Granted, not everyone agrees in ranking methodology, but the the following link by Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranks UCSD as the 13th highest university GLOBALLY, above Dartmouth, JH, UPenn, UCLA, and Michigan.  It's a public school, but it is a top-tier school that lags the others only in its age.
451001
The "best" college for you is the one that best suits your specific, individual needs and preferences.  How do you know which college is the best?\n\nKeep in mind that the "best college" or "best university" for you is one that will maximize your learning potential and knowledge. When deciding which institutions you should apply to, create your own student-centered ranking system. In your personal college ranking system, account for your educational goals and career objectives; the college’s entrance requirements, degree and course offerings, and reputation in the field in which you will earn a degree; transferability of credit; your learning style and preferences; the college’s teacher-student ratios; the campus location, environment and housing options; the availability of student support services on campus (medical services, tutoring, wellness programs); and, finally, the cost (after financial aid is applied). \n\nIn the end, what's going to matter is whether (a) you actually have or will have a degree at the point of admissions to law school and (b) how you rated in the admissions pool.   The issue of  WHERE you earned your undergraduate degree will only be important  IF you intent to pursue a law degree from the same school where you earned your undergraduate degree.\n\nBest of luck!