The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, established in 1868.

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, founded in 1900.

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.

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

Tulane University is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, founded in 1847.