What does レベルが高い mean in this context?


> レベルが高い大学なので、簡単に合格できない。

Which of the following has the closest meaning with レベルが高い in this context?

  1. 授業料が高い
  2. 高級な
  3. 難しい

Putting aside number 1, both 2 and 3 seem correct. But usually 高級 refers to
the quality of goods and services, and while この大学の入学が難しい might sound correct,
I don't know about 難しい大学.




レベルが高い大学 is a little ambiguous, but basically it's a common phrase to refer to
universities listed in rankings like
[these](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rankings_of_universities_in_the_United_States).
難しい大学 is instantly understood as "hard-to-enter" at least in [this country
where 受験 is very
important](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2014/02/02/language/its-never-
too-early-to-start-juken/#.XHd2SVz7RjE). Naturally, a レベルが高い大学 is also
difficult to enter.

高級な大学 is not a combination we normally hear in the first place. Google results
for this phrase mainly include pages that have
高級な[大学芋](https://search.yahoo.co.jp/image/search?p=%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%A6%E8%8A%8B)
and
高級な[大学ノート](https://search.yahoo.co.jp/image/search?p=%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%A6%E3%83%8E%E3%83%BC%E3%83%88).
If you insist, I would imagine 高級な大学 is like a university with gorgeous
furniture and high expenses; it's not directly associated with academic
levels.




レベルが高い大学 is a little ambiguous, but basically it's a common phrase to refer to
universities listed in rankings like
[these](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rankings_of_universities_in_the_United_States).
難しい大学 is instantly understood as "hard-to-enter" at least in [this country
where 受験 is very
important](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2014/02/02/language/its-never-
too-early-to-start-juken/#.XHd2SVz7RjE). Naturally, a レベルが高い大学 is also
difficult to enter.

高級な大学 is not a combination we normally hear in the first place. Google results
for this phrase mainly include pages that have
高級な[大学芋](https://search.yahoo.co.jp/image/search?p=%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%A6%E8%8A%8B)
and
高級な[大学ノート](https://search.yahoo.co.jp/image/search?p=%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%A6%E3%83%8E%E3%83%BC%E3%83%88).
If you insist, I would imagine 高級な大学 is like a university with gorgeous
furniture and high expenses; it's not directly associated with academic
levels.

