The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, founded in 1861.

The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or, colloquially, UCSD) is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California, established in 1960.

The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public flagship research university in Eugene, Oregon, founded in 1876.

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California.

The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a public land-grant research university in Irvine, California.

The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is a private research university in Pasadena, California.