IIT vs. UC Berkeley

Should I go to Illinois Institute of Technology or University of California Berkeley? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if IIT or UC Berkeley is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Illinois Institute of Technology vs. University of California Berkeley comparison
Illinois Institute of Technology University of California Berkeley College 3 College 4
Illinois Institute of Technology University of California Berkeley
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Overview

 IIT UC Berkeley
Location Chicago, IL Berkeley, CA
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 8,563 45,699
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #270 #64
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iit.edu berkeley.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 IIT UC Berkeley
Tuition (In State) $49,643 $11,834
Tuition (Out of State) $49,643 $42,611
Room & Board $16,528 $22,692
Avg Net Price $25,001 $16,997
Avg Grant Aid $43,437 $25,951
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 50%

Admission

 IIT UC Berkeley
Applied 8,912 125,910
Admitted 4,939 14,677
Acceptance Rate 55.4% 11.7%
Enrolled % 10.8% 45.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.87
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Very High
ACT Range 25/31 30/35
SAT Range 1180/1410 1310/1530
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Mar 1, 2026 Nov 30, 2025

Academics

 IIT UC Berkeley
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (50%)
  • Architecture (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (8%)
  • Business (7%)
  • Biology (4%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)

Outcomes

 IIT UC Berkeley
Graduation Rate 64% 90%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $79,300 $74,700
Making Student Loan Payments 81% 79%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $14,200
Median Loan Payment $279 $146

Diversity

 IIT UC Berkeley
% Men 37% 14%
% Women 24% 13%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 27%
% Black 6% 2%
% Hispanic 16% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 26% 14%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

 IIT UC Berkeley
% In-State 60% 79%
% Out-of-State 29% 10%

Campus

 IIT UC Berkeley
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Berkeley is larger than than IIT based on total student enrollment (45,699 students vs. 8,563 students)

IIT vs. UC Berkeley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, IIT or UC Berkeley?

  • Illinois Institute of Technology is 319.5% more expensive to attend than UC Berkeley for in-state tuition ($49,643.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16.5% higher at IIT than University of California Berkeley ($49,643.00 vs. $42,611.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Berkeley than IIT ($16,997 vs. $25,001)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Illinois Institute of Technology are 37.3% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($16,528 vs. $22,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Illinois Institute of Technology than University of California Berkeley (100% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Illinois Institute of Technology students is 67.4% larger than aid received University of California Berkeley ($43,437 vs. $25,951)

IIT vs. UC Berkeley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, IIT or UC Berkeley? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UC Berkeley or IIT .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Berkeley (1397) is 146 points higher than at IIT (1251)
  • Incoming UC Berkeley students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at IIT (28)
  • Accepted freshman UC Berkeley students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.87) than students at IIT (3.84)
  • IIT has a higher acceptance rate (55.4%) than UC Berkeley (11.7%)

IIT vs. UC Berkeley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, IIT or UC Berkeley? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UC Berkeley and IIT.

  • The graduation rate at UC Berkeley is higher than Illinois Institute of Technology (90% vs. 64%)
  • Graduates from Illinois Institute of Technology earn on average $4,600 more per year than UC Berkeley graduates after ten years. ($79,300 vs. $74,700)
  • University of California Berkeley students graduate with a $12,800 lower median federal student loan debt than IIT graduates. ($14,200 vs. $27,000)
  • UC Berkeley graduates are paying $133 less per month on federal student loans than IIT graduates. ($146 vs. $279)
  • More IIT graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Berkeley students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 79%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/