UNR better than UNLV, according to list of best colleges in each state

The rivalry between the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the University of Nevada, Reno runs deep. And it will probably never, ever end.

Depending on who you ask, Rebel or Wolf Pack alumni, one school is significantly better than the other.

Forbes is trying to finally put the decades-old debate to rest, as the business magazine has declared UNR to be superior to UNLV.

According to the report, which picked the best college in every state, in addition to having one of the largest study abroad programs in the nation and having Division 1 athletic programs, UNR hosts Nevada’s “only public medical school and is home to one of the largest earthquake-simulation labs.”

While this may be true, the study ignores that the incoming UNLV School of Medicine is slated to welcome its first class of students starting July 2017.

Not only does UNLV have one of the most recognized hotel schools in the country, its Boyd School of Law is also pretty impressive. The Southern Nevada law school is nationally ranked 78th.

If we want to bridge the topic of sports, as a previous Review-Journal article points out, although the Wolf Pack has been victorious in nine of 10 of the past basketball match-ups between the two schools, UNLV has had four Final Four appearances and a national championship in its history.

UNR has yet to make it past the Sweet 16.

We’ve had our own fun with the North-South rivalry at the RJ extending beyond the schools, like when columnist Steve Sebelius reacted to an interesting list written by Chris Murray at the Reno-Gazette Journal.

Forbes’ school of choice for Nevada wasn’t the only surprising pick. According to the list, passing both Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Williams College was named as the best college in Massachusetts.

In California, Forbes found Pomona College to be more impressive than UCLA, Berkeley, USC or Pepperdine.

Dabbing into another heated rivalry, the study opted for Auburn over Alabama.

Contact Caitlin Lilly at clilly@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @caitielilly_