What's the Right US University for Me? Quiz

Answer: West Virginia

Marshall University is a public university founded in 1837 in Huntington, West Virginia. It was initially founded as a secondary school in what was then Virginia and was named after John Marshall who was the fourth Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court.

In 1858 it was elevated to college status but was closed during most of the 1860's due to the American Civil War. In 1863 50 counties split from Virginia and formed West Virginia. Huntington is located in Cabell County which was one of the fifty to split off.

In 1867 the school was named the State Normal School of Marshall College and in 1961 was finally named Marshall University. Notable alumni include: Soupy Sales(entertainer), Randy Moss (NFL football player) and Carwood Lipton (World War II veteran that served in the 101st as seen in the HBO Miniseries Band of Brothers).

Answer: Indiana

Ball State University is a public school founded in July 1917 in Muncie, Indiana. In 1917, the Ball brothers acquired a foreclosed institution called the Indiana Normal Institute and turned it over to the state. The Ball brothers where five brothers who were founders of the Ball Corporation, which primarily made glass jars and other home canning supplies.

The school kept its previous name until 1922 when it was changed to Ball Teachers College to honor the Ball family contribution. In 1965, it was renamed Ball State University. Notable alumni include: Jim Davis (cartoonist that created Garfield), David Letterman (TV personality) and John Schnatter (founder of Papa John's Pizza).

Answer: Rhode Island

Brown is a private school founded in 1764 in Providence, Rhode Island. Three Brown brothers, Joseph, Moses and John, where instrumental in acquiring the land and raising the funds to start the university, so in 1803 the name was changed from its original name, The College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, to Brown University. American troops used some buildings as barracks and a hospital during the Revolutionary War. Notable alumni include: Amy Carter (daughter of President Jimmy Carter), John Seely Brown (inventor of spellcheck) and Sidney Frank (founder of Grey Goose Vodka and Jagermeister).

Answer: California

Pepperdine University is a private university affiliated with the Churches of Christ and founded in Los Angeles, California in 1937. It was moved to Malibu in 1972. George Pepperdine who made his fortune by founding the Western Auto Supply Company, felt that it was wrong to build a fortune and use it selfishly.

He wanted to found a school that would not only give a quality education but also "build in the student a Christ like life, a love for the church and a passion for the souls of mankind". Notable alumni include: Kim Fields (actress who played Tootie in the Facts of Life), Neil Clark Warren (co-founder of eHarmony.com) and Dain Blanton (gold medalist in beach volleyball in the 2000 Olympics).

Answer: Nebraska

Creighton University is a private Roman Catholic school founded in Omaha, Nebraska in 1878. The university was founded with a donation from Mary Lucretia Creighton. She stipulated in her will that a school be founded in memory of her husband Edward Creighton, who was a local businessman who made his money mainly in the banking and railroad industry. Notable alumni include: Michael P. Anderson (Astronaut killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster), Bob Gibson (All Star Hall of Fame pitcher for the St Louis Cardinals) and J. Joseph Ricketts (founder of TD Ameritrade).

Answer: Louisiana

Tulane is a private school that was founded in 1834 in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was initially established as a public medical school becoming the second medical school in the American South. It was expanded into a university in 1847 and then became privatized in 1884.

In 1882 a businessman named Paul Tulane donated $363,000 (in 1882 dollars) to improve higher education in Louisiana. The state privatized the school and named it Tulane University in 1884. It is the only instance of a public university becoming a private university in the U.S.

As a result of Hurricane Katrina, the school was temporarily closed for only the second time in its history, the first being during the American Civil War. Notable alumni include: Jerry Springer (talk show host and former mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio), James H. Clark (founder of Netscape and WebMD) and Newt Gingrich (former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives).

Answer: Washington

Gonzaga was founded in 1887 in Spokane, Washington as a private Roman Catholic university. It was founded by an Italian born Catholic priest named Father Joseph Cataldo. He named the school after the Jesuit Saint Aloysius Gonzaga who is the patron saint of young students, all Christian youth, and plague victims.

In 1591, he was studying theology when a plague outbreak hit Rome. He volunteered to help care for the victims until he too became infected and died less than a week before his 23rd birthday. Notable alumni include: Bing Crosby (Academy award winning actor and singer), Tom Foley (former Speaker of the US House of Representatives and Ambassador to Japan) and John Stockton (former NBA All star basketball player).

Answer: Texas

Southern Methodist University (SMU) was established in 1911 in Dallas, Texas by the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1939, SMU was placed in the jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church. In 2008 it was selected as the location for the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

His wife, Laura, graduated from SMU in 1968, I wonder if that may have influenced his decision Notable alumni include: Mary E. Weber (former NASA astronaut), Aaron Spelling (film and TV producer) and Doak Walker (member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and winner of the 1948 Heisman Trophy).

Answer: New York

Columbia is a private university that was founded in 1754 in New York City. It was initially named King's College. After the American Revolution, it was renamed Columbia College. In 1896 it was given its current name which is Columbia University in the City of New York. Columbia was the first school in the U.S. to grant an M.D. degree. Columbia is charged with awarding the annual Pulitzer Prize. Notable alumni include: five founding fathers of the U.S., Four U.S. Presidents, Nine Supreme Court Justices and 29 Academy Award winners.

More recent notable alumni include: Isaac Asimov (science fiction author), James Franco (actor) and Neil deGrasse Tyson (American astrophysicist).

Answer: Maryland

Towson University was founded as a public university in 1866 in Towson, Maryland. It was formed as the first school in Maryland to train teachers and initially named Maryland State Normal School. As it began to grow and expand, the name was changed to Maryland State Teachers College at Towson.

In 1960 the school expanded its arts and science program so the name was changed to Towson State College. In 1976 the curriculum began to expand again so the name was changed to Towson State University.

In 1997 the name was changed again, this time the "State" was dropped and now goes by Towson University. Notable alumni include: Amy Schumer (comedian), Sean Landeta (former NFL football player for the New York Giants) and Dwight Schultz (actor notable for having played "Howling Mad" Murdock in the 1980s TV series The A-Team).