Tucked into exclusive Bel Air with the beach, the mountains, and chic Hollywood hangouts all within easy reach. The adjacent town of Westwood is an ideal student hangout. Practically everything is offered here, but-no surprise, given its location in La La Land-the programs in arts and media are some of the best in the world. Less politically active than Berkeley but just as difficult to get into.

With four Nobel Prizes awarded to alumni and faculty in the past decade, you might think UCLA is an intellectual brain trust. Or with a long list of well-known and highly accomplished alumni in the arts, film, and sports, maybe UCLA is some sort of incubator for truly talented and gifted people. Well, UCLA is all that and more. A superb faculty, a reputation for outstanding academics, and a powerful athletics program make this university an ultimate place to study.

UCLA’s prime location-sandwiched between two glamorous neighborhoods (Beverly Hills and Bel Air) and a short drive from the beach, Hollywood, the Sunset Strip, and downtown Los Angeles-makes it appealing for students who want more from their college experience than going to class. The beautifully landscaped, 419-acre campus features a range of architectural styles, with Romanesque/Italian Renaissance as the dominant motif, providing only one of a number of reasons students enjoy staying on campus. A wealth of gardens-botanical, Japanese, and sculpture-add a touch of quiet elegance. The campus is philosophically divided into North and South. North attracts more liberal arts aficionados, while those in math and science tend to favor South.

First-year students are encouraged to participate in a three-day summer orientation that provides workshops, counseling, an introduction to the campus and community, and a chance to register for classes. In Fall Quarter, freshmen can begin a yearlong cluster of interdisciplinary courses on topics such as Environment and Sustainability or enroll in small-group seminars such as Student Activism from the Sixties to Present. To graduate, first-year students are required to take (or test out of) quantitative reasoning and English composition courses. Lab science and a language requirement are necessary for a liberal arts degree, and all students must take a course on diversity. Concerned that too many majors have been asking too little of students, the university is now encouraging departments to require capstone projects in which students must use the methodological training of their discipline and integrate what they have learned across topics and fields.

Strong programs abound at UCLA, which joined the UC system in 1919, and many are considered among the best in the nation. UCLA is well established in the STEM fields; the Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science is highly regarded and sets the tone on campus, and biological sciences, mathematics, and chemistry are also strong. The School of Theater, Film, and Television is first-rate, and its students have the opportunity to study in Verona, Italy, with the Theater Overseas program. The popular Alpert School of Music offers an institute of jazz performance and boasts legends Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter among its distinguished faculty. Dance and design/media arts are standouts in the School of the Arts and Architecture. Sociology, political science, economics, and psychology enroll the most students.

UCLA gets more applications than any other college in the country-now exceeding 110,000 per year-and the academic environment is intense, especially in STEM fields. Although half of all undergraduate classes have fewer than 20 students, required core classes, usually taken in the first two years, can be as large as 300 to 400 people, with smaller sections. Students warn that some faculty are mainly interested in their research, but a political science major says, “We are spoiled by incredible faculty at UCLA-top researchers in their field and amazing lecturers.” Two undergraduate research centers, one for the sciences and one for the arts, humanities, and social sciences, help students develop research skills and connect them with opportunities. The university regularly ranks in the top 10 in the nation in federal funding for research. Faculty-led study abroad programs are popular, and “financial aid travels with you,” according to a junior.

“UCLA students love a challenge,” says a computer science major. “They are also very invested in building up their peers and the community around them.” Seventy-seven percent of undergraduates are California residents, and 11 percent are international. Asian Americans account for 28 percent of UCLA’s student population, Hispanics 22 percent, African Americans 3 percent, and multiracial students 6 percent. The political atmosphere is liberal; UCLA is one of the few universities in the nation with a gay fraternity and a lesbian sorority, and students often advocate for social justice issues. Merit scholarships are available, averaging $6,000 each, as well as nearly 300 athletic scholarships in 21 sports.

Fifty-eight percent of undergraduates, including almost all freshmen, live on campus in the residential area known as “the Hill”; freshmen are guaranteed three consecutive years of university housing, and the dorms get great reviews. Residential learning communities with a faculty member in residence are an option for those who wish to bond with classmates over shared interests. Fifteen dining halls, restaurants, and snack bars serve meals that students rave about. “I have friends who attend other universities who will visit me just so they can eat UCLA’s food,” says a senior. UCLA has its own police department that keeps the campus safe, and a junior says, “Our Title IX officer is actively working to spread awareness [of sexual assault] and connect those affected with the right resources.”

Consistent with UCLA’s huge enrollment, there is no shortage of social options on campus. “Social life is bustling,” cheers a junior. “What I love about UCLA is that a lot of social things happen on campus-you always feel like you are a part of something greater because so many students participate in activities going on.” Eleven percent of men and 13 percent of women join one of UCLA’s nearly 60 fraternities and sororities, and a senior says Greek life “is a fun way to get involved and meet people, but it does not monopolize social life.” The university’s alcohol policy is similar to that of other UC schools-open consumption is a no-no. Top-name entertainers, political figures, and speakers of all kinds come to the campus; film and theater presentations are frequent, and the air is thick with live music. Spring Sing, a campuswide student talent show presided over by celebrity judges, is a favorite tradition. Volunteer Day is a big deal here, too, and attracts more than 8,000 student volunteers annually.

With all the attractions of the City of Angels at UCLA’s doorstep, social life is hardly confined to campus. “There is constantly a variety of different concerts, plays, art shows, comedy shows, and festivals in L.A. that students can take advantage of,” says a junior. The hopping Westwood neighborhood, which borders the university, has at least 15 movie theaters and scores of coffee shops and affordable restaurants, although the shops tend to cater to the upper class. The beach is five miles away, and the mountains are only a short drive. Although public transportation is cheap, it’s also relatively inconvenient (although new bus routes have eased this somewhat). The easiest solution is to live close to campus and ride a bike.

UCLA has won a staggering number of collegiate titles, including 118 NCAA Division I team national championships. Some of the most recent include softball, women’s gymnastics, and women’s beach volleyball. UCLA has won more than 260 Olympic medals and has won a gold medal in every Olympics in which the U.S. has competed since 1932. The men’s football and basketball teams are the undeniable crowd-pleasers, although beating crosstown rival USC is the name of the game in any sport. UCLA fans regard their intra-city rivalry with enthusiasm. Beat USC Week, the week leading up to the football game between the two, is an event in itself, featuring a bonfire, concert, and blood drive. About a third of students compete in club and intramural sports.

“Although everyone is striving for excellence, UCLA allows everyone to experience life,” muses a junior. “That means taking time to prepare for exams and do it well, while also making time to play beach volleyball at Sunset Rec with all of your friends.” A leading research center, 200 fields of study, distinguished faculty members, and outstanding athletics make UCLA one of the most prestigious universities in the nation. And despite the large size, students still feel they are part of a tight-knit community bubbling with Bruin pride.

-Fiske Guide