Stanford vs. UC Berkeley vs. UT Austin vs. Duke

Should I go to Stanford University or University of California Berkeley? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Stanford 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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Stanford University vs. University of California Berkeley vs. The University of Texas at Austin vs. Duke University comparison
Stanford University University of California Berkeley The University of Texas at Austin Duke University
Stanford University University of California Berkeley The University of Texas at Austin Duke University
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Overview

 Stanford UC Berkeley UT Austin Duke
Location Stanford, CA Berkeley, CA Austin, TX Durham, NC
Setting Large Suburban Midsize City Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 18,446 45,699 53,082 17,112
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #2 #64 #105 #3
Religious Affiliation - - - United Methodist
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website stanford.edu berkeley.edu utexas.edu duke.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 Stanford UC Berkeley UT Austin Duke
Tuition (In State) $61,731 $11,834 $11,678 $63,450
Tuition (Out of State) $61,731 $42,611 $42,778 $63,450
Room & Board $19,922 $22,692 $14,136 $17,458
Avg Net Price $17,998 $16,997 $18,036 $23,422
Avg Grant Aid $64,164 $25,951 $12,060 $59,327
% Receiving Grant Aid 55% 50% 47% 41%

Admission

 Stanford UC Berkeley UT Austin Duke
Applied 53,733 125,910 66,109 46,365
Admitted 2,099 14,677 19,253 3,145
Acceptance Rate 3.9% 11.7% 29.1% 4.8%
Enrolled % 80.9% 45.2% 48.7% 9%
Avg High School GPA 3.96 3.87 3.8 3.94
Typical High School Grades A- A- A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High High Extreme
ACT Range 34/35 30/35 27/33 34/35
SAT Range 1510/1580 1310/1530 1230/1490 1510/1570
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 2, 2026 Nov 30, 2025 Dec 1, 2025 Jan 3, 2026

Academics

 Stanford UC Berkeley UT Austin Duke
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 18:1 18:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • General Studies (16%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (5%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Social Sciences (5%)
  • Engineering (3%)
  • Human Services (2%)
  • Biology (2%)
  • Psychology (2%)

Outcomes

 Stanford UC Berkeley UT Austin Duke
Graduation Rate 96% 90% 81% 94%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $122,900 $74,700 $68,600 $108,900
Making Student Loan Payments 88% 79% 77% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $12,475 $14,200 $22,250 $7,500
Median Loan Payment $128 $146 $230 $77

Diversity

 Stanford UC Berkeley UT Austin Duke
% Men 31% 14% 10% 27%
% Women 25% 13% 10% 35%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High Very High Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 37% 27% 44% 46%
% Black 6% 2% 4% 10%
% Hispanic 15% 14% 22% 7%
% Native American 1% 0% 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 10% 5% 4% 2%
% International 9% 14% 5% 10%
% Unknown Race 0% 3% 1% 2%

Students

 Stanford UC Berkeley UT Austin Duke
% In-State 37% 79% 88% 12%
% Out-of-State 47% 10% 9% 74%

Campus

 Stanford UC Berkeley UT Austin Duke
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes Yes No
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Comparable Facts

  • University of California Berkeley is larger than than Stanford based on total student enrollment (45,699 students vs. 18,446 students)

Stanford vs. UC Berkeley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Stanford or UC Berkeley?

  • Stanford University is 421.6% more expensive to attend than UC Berkeley for in-state tuition ($61,731.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 44.9% higher at Stanford than University of California Berkeley ($61,731.00 vs. $42,611.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Berkeley than Stanford ($16,997 vs. $17,998)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Stanford University are 13.9% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($19,922 vs. $22,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Stanford University than University of California Berkeley (55% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Stanford University students is 147.3% larger than aid received University of California Berkeley ($64,164 vs. $25,951)

Stanford vs. UC Berkeley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Stanford University (1479) is 82 points higher than at UC Berkeley (1397)
  • Incoming Stanford students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at UC Berkeley (32)
  • Accepted freshman Stanford students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at UC Berkeley (3.87)
  • UC Berkeley has a higher acceptance rate (11.7%) than Stanford (3.9%)

Stanford vs. UC Berkeley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Stanford 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 Stanford.

  • The graduation rate at Stanford is higher than University of California Berkeley (96% vs. 90%)
  • Graduates from Stanford University earn on average $48,200 more per year than UC Berkeley graduates after ten years. ($122,900 vs. $74,700)
  • Stanford University students graduate with a $1,725 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Berkeley graduates. ($12,475 vs. $14,200)
  • Stanford graduates are paying $18 less per month on federal student loans than UC Berkeley graduates. ($128 vs. $146)
  • More Stanford graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Berkeley students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 79%)

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