The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a private research university in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney,

Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (the U of M or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota.

The University of Virginia (U.Va. or UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson.

The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin.

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