UC Berkeley vs. Cornell

Should I go to University of California Berkeley or Cornell University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Berkeley or Cornell 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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University of California Berkeley vs. Cornell University comparison
University of California Berkeley Cornell University College 3 College 4
University of California Berkeley Cornell University
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Overview

 UC Berkeley Cornell
Location Berkeley, CA Ithaca, NY
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 45,699 26,264
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #64 #19
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website berkeley.edu cornell.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Berkeley Cornell
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $65,204
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $65,204
Room & Board $22,692 $18,554
Avg Net Price $16,997 $26,455
Avg Grant Aid $25,951 $56,741
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 51%

Admission

 UC Berkeley Cornell
Applied 125,910 65,635
Admitted 14,677 5,358
Acceptance Rate 11.7% 8.2%
Enrolled % 45.2% 66%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 30/35 33/35
SAT Range 1310/1530 1480/1560
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Jan 2, 2026

Academics

 UC Berkeley Cornell
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)

Outcomes

 UC Berkeley Cornell
Graduation Rate 90% 93%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,700 $98,400
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,200 $12,000
Median Loan Payment $146 $124

Diversity

 UC Berkeley Cornell
% Men 14% 19%
% Women 13% 20%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 41%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 14% 12%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 14% 10%
% Unknown Race 3% 8%

Students

 UC Berkeley Cornell
% In-State 79% 32%
% Out-of-State 10% 55%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Berkeley is larger than than Cornell based on total student enrollment (45,699 students vs. 26,264 students)

UC Berkeley vs. Cornell Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Berkeley or Cornell?

  • Cornell University is 451% more expensive to attend than UC Berkeley for in-state tuition ($65,204.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 53% higher at Cornell than University of California Berkeley ($65,204.00 vs. $42,611.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Berkeley than Cornell ($16,997 vs. $26,455)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Cornell University are 22.3% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($18,554 vs. $22,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cornell University than University of California Berkeley (51% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cornell University students is 118.6% larger than aid received University of California Berkeley ($56,741 vs. $25,951)

UC Berkeley vs. Cornell Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Cornell University (1428) is 31 points higher than at UC Berkeley (1397)
  • Incoming UC Berkeley students have at the same average ACT score (32) as students at Cornell (32)
  • Accepted freshman Cornell students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at UC Berkeley (3.87)
  • UC Berkeley has a higher acceptance rate (11.7%) than Cornell (8.2%)

UC Berkeley vs. Cornell Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Berkeley or Cornell? 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 Cornell and UC Berkeley.

  • The graduation rate at Cornell is higher than University of California Berkeley (93% vs. 90%)
  • Graduates from Cornell University earn on average $23,700 more per year than UC Berkeley graduates after ten years. ($98,400 vs. $74,700)
  • Cornell University students graduate with a $2,200 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Berkeley graduates. ($12,000 vs. $14,200)
  • Cornell graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than UC Berkeley graduates. ($124 vs. $146)
  • More Cornell graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Berkeley students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 79%)

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