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Pac 10 Conference
Learn What Makes Each of These West Coast Universities Special

By Allen Grove, About.com

Spread out along the entire West Coast, the members of the Pac 10 Conference represent a huge range of universities. From Stanford with an acceptance rate around 10% to Arizona State and Oregon State with acceptance rates around 90%, there's a school here to match most students' high school records.

If you want to learn more about your favorite teams, check out our About.com experts:

1. University of Arizona at Tucson (U of A)

University of ArizonaAaron Jacobs / Flickr
The University of Arizona is one of the country's strong research centers with academic strengths stretching from engineering to photography. Be sure to visit "Old Main," the campus's first building, for a glimpse at the Old West. learn more
  • School type: public
  • Undergraduate enrollment:28,442 (2006)
  • Team: Wildcats

2. Arizona State University at Tempe

Arizona State Universitykevindooley / Flickr
Arizona State University has a high acceptance rate, making it accessible to many students. Several of the university's pre-professional programs are the most popular among undergraduates -- Business, Finance, Marketing, Communication Studies and Journalism. ASU is one of the largest universities in the country. learn more
  • School type: public
  • Undergraduate enrollment: 41,626 (2007)
  • Team: Sun Devils

3. Berkeley (University of California at Berkeley)

UC Berkeley Campushsivonen / Flickr
Berkeley is a true academic powerhouse, and it consistently ranks among the top public universities, often in the #1 spot. It's also about the toughest public university in the country to get into, with an acceptance rate under 25%. learn more
  • School type: public
  • Undergraduate enrollment: 24,636 (2007)
  • Team: Golden Bears

4. University of Oregon at Eugene

University of Oregondrcorneilus / Flickr
The University of Oregon is usually considered a little more liberal and a little less pre-professional than their big rival, Oregon State University. The University of Oregon has an excellent creative writing program, but their undergraduate programs in business shouldn't be underrated. learn more
  • School type: public
  • Undergraduate enrollment: 16,674 (2007)
  • Team: Ducks

5. Oregon State University at Corvallis

Oregon State Universitysaml123 / Flickr
Only Cornell University matches Oregon State University for holding the quadruple designation of a land-grand, sea-grant, space-grant and sun-grant institution. And with a relatively high acceptance rate, Oregon State's great research faculty is accessible to most students. learn more
  • School type: public
  • Undergraduate enrollment: 16,224 (2007)
  • Team: Beavers

6. Stanford University

Stanford Universitysoapbeard / Flickr
Stanford University typical sits near the top of rankings of the top universities and top engineering schools, keeping company with the likes of Harvard and M.I.T. You'll need a stellar high school record to get in. learn more
  • School type: private
  • Undergraduate enrollment: 6,584 (2007)
  • Team: Cardinals

7. UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles)

UCLA Royce Hall_gene_ / flickr
UCLA, like Berkeley, ranks as one of the top public universities in the country. With an acceptance rate around 25%, you'd better have a strong high school record if you want to get in. Located just a few miles from downtown LA and the Pacific Ocean, UCLA sits on a prime piece of real estate in Southern California. learn more
  • School type: public
  • Undergraduate enrollment: 25,928 (2007)
  • Team: Bruins

8. University of Southern California

USC FootballTrent Bigelow / Flickr
USC and Stanford are the two private universities in the Pac 10 Conference, so you can expect a significantly higher price tag than the other schools on this list. USC ranks well among national universities. Business is the most popular undergraduate major. The university is located just southwest of downtown Los Angeles. learn more
  • School type: private
  • Undergraduate enrollment: 16,384 (2007)
  • Team: Trojans

9. University of Washington at Seattle

University of WashingtonKen Lund / Flickr
The University of Washington's attractive campus looks off to Portage and Union Bays in one direction and Mount Rainier in another. With over 40,000 students, Washington is the largest university on the West Coast. learn more
  • School type: public
  • Undergraduate enrollment: 28,570 (2007)
  • Team: Huskies

10. Washington State University

Washington State University Thompson HallThecougarman07 / Wikimedia Commons
Located on the eastern side of the state, Washington State University is much closer to the University of Idaho than their rival, the University of Washington. With more than 200 areas of study, Washington State has something of interest to nearly everyone. learn more
  • School type: public
  • Undergraduate enrollment: 20,282 (2006)
  • Team: Cougars
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