University of California-San Diego

One of the top research universities in the world, the University of California, San Diego is renowned for its science programs and its stellar teachers. Hundreds of students flock to the university's gospel choir classes each year thanks to the popularity of music professor Kenneth Anderson. And Lin Chao, who teaches ecology, behavior and evolution, gets top student marks (and teaching awards) for describing complex science concepts through stories. Notable alumni include Mike Judge, who earned a bachelor's in physics before going on to create TV shows like King of the Hill, and Billy Beane, who put his UCSD economics coursework and statistical analysis training to use in building a competitive Oakland Athletics team on the cheap -- a feat immortalized in the book and movie Moneyball. Money found that 86% of students graduate within six years, a rate that's about 16% higher than what is typical for colleges with similar student populations. UCSD's student body is highly diverse, with 34% of undergraduates identifying as Asian and 20% as Hispanic/Latino. Good news for Triton fans: As of July, UCSD has joined the Big West Conference as a Division I school. (It's technically in a reclassification period that goes through summer 2024.) Outside of sports, the college's annual Sun God Festival is one of the most popular events of the year, attracting performers like Drake, My Chemical Romance, and Sara Bareilles.