Why is UC, Riverside ranked so low of all the other UC's? What is it based on?

Answer 1

hahahah idk but thats where my dumbass "SMART" friend goes to ,thanks for letting me know ,now ill have something to clown on him for

Answer 2

Linkin covered it pretty well already in the other question you asked.

But if you must know, the ranking criteria are based on mean test scores and GPA of incoming students, selectivity of admissions (how many applied, how many rejected), as well as faculty prestige, rigor of coursework and subjects offered for study.

I went to Berkeley. Yes it is a brag-worthy accomplishment, and I do it all the time on this board.

However, I don't think UCR deserves to get dumped on as much as it does. For one thing, the man who wrote the greatest college biology text of all time (the Campbell text) was a professor at UCR (he passed away a few years ago). And they do have some good programs. There's a 7-year med program in conjunction with UCLA. You do 3 years of undergrad at UCR, take the MCAT and then go on to UCLA for med school. They're also trying to start a medical school at UCR, and I think that will boost UCR's profile immensely.

As for what life is like around UCR? My best friend went to UCR and still lives out there. I'm in LA now, but driving to Riverside from LA really isn't that horrible, provided you avoid rush hour and the 91 at all costs. While it can be hot out there, it's not hotter than the San Fernando Valley. And there are plenty of stores and malls and stuff in the Inland Empire. Riverside isn't the boondocks anymore. It's not a cultural center, but there are worse places.

Answer 3

But if you must know, the ranking criteria are based on mean test scores and GPA of incoming students, selectivity of admissions (how many applied, how many rejected), as well as faculty prestige, rigor of coursework and subjects offered for study.
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Just wanted to highlight what Gumdrop said. That's why UCR is ranked so low compared to the other UCs. It's just not as hard as the other schools. Not as hard to get in, and not quite as hard academically. It's sort of a vicious circle b/c smarter kids want to go to more "prestigious" schools so the academic level goes down. I had friends who went to all the different UCs and I have visited them. I can see the different difficulty levels and it does correspond with ranking. I went to one of the middle UCs while most of my high school friends went to Berkeley. My UC classmates thought I was a freaking genius. I'm well aware that I'd likely just be average at Berkeley. Visiting friends at Riverside, I did notice that it felt easier than my UC, but harder than a CC.

For a more concrete example, just look at the average GPAs and SAT scores of its students compared to the other UCs. See when it even sends out admissions letters. UCR comes out a month before all the other ones. I'm quite sure this is because UCR is a backup for many kids and sending it out so early gets some kids to consider checking it out and even go there if UCR can come up with an attractive scholarship offer. Being so early allows them to get a kid's undivided attention and some consideration it normally wouldn't get if they sent out their letters along with all the other UCs.

While building a med school will help, the other UCs aren't sitting still either so the rankings aren't going to change much in our lifetime.

But, read the answers of the other question you asked. I was trying to say it's not really that bad. Taranto did a great job adding to my answer in throwing in rankings of the flagship schools in other states. That shows why the UC system is so respected. Even the "worst" one is still better than the best one in many other states. And we also have the Cal State systems, in which Riverside is still considered better than all of those. And many of our Cal States could hang with the flagship schools of other states.

Basically, Riverside is a victim of being in the same group as Berkeley and UCLA. In some rankings, Berkeley is considered one of the best schools in the world. Tough to compete against a "big brother" like that.

Answer 4

Because it's in Riverside.