I would argue that for the most salient issues of our time, UCLA, Berkeley, Stanford, Hopkins, et al, will all support sufficiently liberal social and political policies that from the outside perspective all look the same. Sure, a few colleges may really demonstrate its history of activism.

But which top college wouldn't culturally or administratively have a positive atmosphere towards immigrants, financially disadvantaged, Muslims, gays, sexual equality, or gender issues? Basically the salient topics of our time.

Peter Thiel might simply want to take advantage of the less-crowded LA tech scene, or I suspect he might've tried Austin, but even then, I don't think it's that much different in atmosphere.