Stanford University is the best college in America, says Forbes

Better luck next time, Cal

Forbes has released their list of America’s Top Colleges for 2016, and Stanford University reigns supreme.

Move over Ivy League: the West Coast is, indeed, the Best Coast.

Best known for its superior STEM, business, and law programs and research, as well as highly competitive sports teams and successful alumni, Stanford University topping the list comes as no surprise.

Located in Silicon Valley, the land of high-tec corporations and startups, Stanford is at the forefront of the digital age. Inventions such as bioplastic, digital music, Google, and recombinant DNA were created at Stanford.

Additionally, according to a 2012 study, Stanford alumni and faculty have created 39,000 companies since the 1930s, including eBay, Netflix, Nike, NVIDIA, Trader Joe’s, and Yahoo!, generating 5.4 million jobs and an annual $2.7 trillion.

These companies, if gathered collectively, would make up the world’s 10th largest economy.

Research is of utmost importance to Stanford. A $1.22 billion budget is dedicated to research, and there are currently 5,500 externally sponsored projects being conducted throughout the university.

Stanford isn’t all technology, however.

With 132 national championships, 109 of them being NCAA Championships, Stanford’s sound reputation also continues into athletics.

Notable Stanford alumni include U.S. President Herbert Hoover, Sally Ride, John Steinbeck, and Andrew Luck.

Stanford is a world-renowned research institute, indicated by this year’s 4.69% acceptance rate: the lowest of the nation. The 2,063 admits represented 50 states and 76 countries.

UC Berkeley, Stanford’s rival school, impressively ranked in at #40.

Better luck next year, Cal.

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