Is Loyola Marymount University or NYU considered more prestigious?

I’m trying to compare these two schools because I’m deciding where to apply and prestige seems to come up a lot in conversations with family and counselors.

I know they are both well-regarded, but I’m not sure how people generally perceive Loyola Marymount versus NYU in terms of reputation and name recognition.
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NYU is more widely viewed as the more prestigious school in overall national and international reputation. It has much broader name recognition, especially in fields like business, film, the arts, finance, and global studies, and people outside the U.S. are also more likely to know NYU right away. Loyola Marymount is well respected, particularly in California and in areas tied to media, communications, and its Jesuit, liberal arts-oriented education, but it does not carry the same broad prestige profile.

For a student who cares about instantly recognizable branding, large-city reach, and a school name that tends to register quickly with employers and extended family, NYU usually has the clearer edge. Its location in New York City, large alumni network, and visibility in industries like entertainment, consulting, and business all reinforce that reputation. In casual perception, many people place NYU in a different tier of national visibility than LMU.

LMU makes more sense for a student who wants a strong reputation in Los Angeles, a more contained campus environment, and a school known for undergraduate attention and a values-based education. In Southern California, especially around media and creative industries, LMU is taken seriously and can carry real weight. The difference is less that LMU lacks respect and more that its reputation is more regional and less universally recognized.

So if the question is strictly prestige and name recognition, NYU is the stronger answer.
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