Address: 405 Hilgard Avenue, 90095 Los Angeles, California, United States
Medicine, Film and Television, Engineering
Established in 1919 as the southern branch of the University of California, UCLA is a public research university in Los Angeles. It is renowned for its academic excellence, research contributions, arts programs, and a major medical center.
UCLA began in 1919 as the southern branch of the University of California, in a small campus on Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles. It moved to Westwood in 1929, onto land in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, and its early buildings, Royce Hall and Powell Library, were designed in a Romanesque Italian style in brick. Today it has about 46,500 students and 15,000 staff and is among the most applied-to universities in the United States.
UCLA is organised in colleges and schools that include the College of Letters and Science, the Samueli School of Engineering, the David Geffen School of Medicine, the Anderson School of Management, the School of Law, the School of Theater, Film and Television and the School of the Arts and Architecture. The film school, with its archive, trained generations of directors, screenwriters and cinematographers, and the location in Los Angeles helps students reach studios and industry.
A key moment in the history of computing took place here. On 29 October 1969, a team under Leonard Kleinrock sent the first message over ARPANET from a UCLA computer to the Stanford Research Institute, an early step toward the internet. The university runs the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, a large teaching hospital, and the Jules Stein Eye Institute. Researchers have won Nobel Prizes in chemistry, physics, medicine and economics.
The Bruins are known for basketball. Under the coach John Wooden, the team won ten national championships in twelve years between 1964 and 1975. The sports teams compete in the Big Ten Conference. Admission is by the University of California application, and tuition is higher for non-residents and international students. Check the current tariff. Teaching is in English.
Westwood is close to Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. Housing is expensive, and the university guarantees rooms to first-year students.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Engineering, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Materials, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Part of University of California system. Operates major academic medical center (UCLA Health). Strong ties to entertainment industry, tech sector in LA, and arts community. Member of Association of American Universities.
Research:
A leading public research university with strengths in health sciences, engineering, arts and humanities (especially film), social sciences, and physical sciences. High research activity and a large number of undergraduate researchers.
Famous Alumnis:
Jackie Robinson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Franco, Francis Ford Coppola, Jim Morrison, Mayim Bialik, George Takei
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
15200
Current students***:
46500
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
505000
Pros
Top-ranked public university, renowned medical school and hospital, world-class arts and film programs, located in a vibrant global city, diverse student body.
Cons
Highly competitive admissions, very large student population, high cost of living in Los Angeles, urban campus density.
Best For
Students seeking a world-class public education and research opportunities in a diverse and dynamic city, with strong programs in health sciences, engineering, arts, and film.
Another national school that puts materials, life sciences and data analytics at the centre is University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers mechanical engineering as well.
Think of University of Washington when life sciences, data analytics and AI and machine learning is the priority: it covers marine science and bioengineering as well, and is slightly larger, at about 60,500 students against roughly 46,500 here.
The comparison with Rutgers University-New Brunswick is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on materials, life sciences and data analytics, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
Among national alternatives, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign stands out for its focus on materials, life sciences and data analytics, and it covers agriculture as well, and is slightly larger, at about 57,200 students against roughly 46,500 here.
University of Massachusetts Amherst follows much the same lines as this institution, with materials, life sciences and data analytics as common ground, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and is slightly smaller, at about 32,000 students against roughly 46,500 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Looking internationally, The University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom is where life sciences, data analytics and AI and machine learning get a comparable treatment; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
The University of Manchester brings a the United Kingdom setting to the same core fields, materials, life sciences and AI and machine learning, and it has almost the same size, at about 46,500 students, and is also a public institution.
McMaster University in Canada is the nearest foreign match on materials, life sciences and data analytics; it covers physics as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 37,500 students against roughly 46,500 here.
Nanyang Technological University in Singapore pursues a similar profile in materials, life sciences and data analytics, and it is slightly smaller, at about 37,458 students against roughly 46,500 here, and is also a public institution.
Hong Kong Polytechnic University brings a Hong Kong setting to the same core fields, industrial design, materials and life sciences, and it is slightly smaller, at about 33,900 students against roughly 46,500 here, and is also a public institution.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is UCLA?
In the Westwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California.
When was it founded?
In 1919, as the southern branch of the University of California.
When did it move to Westwood?
In 1929.
How large is it?
About 46,500 students and 15,000 staff.
What happened at UCLA in 1969?
On 29 October, a team under Leonard Kleinrock sent the first message over ARPANET from UCLA to the Stanford Research Institute.
What is the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center?
The university's large teaching hospital.
What is UCLA known for in film?
Its School of Theater, Film and Television trained many directors, screenwriters and cinematographers.
Who was John Wooden?
The basketball coach whose Bruins won ten national championships in twelve years between 1964 and 1975.
How do you apply?
Through the University of California application.
What does it cost?
Tuition is higher for non-residents and international students. Check the current tariff.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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