UC Berkeley vs. Harvard

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

 UC Berkeley Harvard
Location Berkeley, CA Cambridge, MA
Setting Midsize City Midsize City
Enrollment 45,307 30,631
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #63 #4
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website berkeley.edu harvard.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Berkeley Harvard
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $52,659
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $52,659
Room & Board $21,402 $19,502
Avg Net Price $19,257 $19,491
Avg Grant Aid $21,669 $61,801
% Receiving Grant Aid 52% 56%

Admission

 UC Berkeley Harvard
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 128,209 61,221
Admitted 14,523 1,984
Acceptance Rate 11.3% 3.2%
Enrolled % 46.3% 83%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 4.0
Typical High School Grades A- A/A+
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 30/35 34/36
SAT Range 1310/1530 1490/1580
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, 2023 Jan 1, 2024

Academics

 UC Berkeley Harvard
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Social Sciences (32%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • History (9%)
  • Mathematics (6%)

Outcomes

 UC Berkeley Harvard
Graduation Rate 90% 97%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,700 $136,700
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,200 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $146 $67

Diversity

 UC Berkeley Harvard
% Men 46% 46%
% Women 54% 54%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 44%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 14% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 14% 11%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

 UC Berkeley Harvard
% In-State 78% 15%
% Out-of-State 11% 69%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Berkeley is larger than than Harvard based on total student enrollment (45,307 students vs. 30,631 students)

UC Berkeley vs. Harvard Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Berkeley or Harvard?

  • Harvard University is 355.4% more expensive to attend than UC Berkeley for in-state tuition ($52,659.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 26.5% higher at Harvard than University of California Berkeley ($52,659.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Berkeley than Harvard ($19,257 vs. $19,491)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Harvard University are 9.7% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($19,502 vs. $21,402)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Harvard University than University of California Berkeley (56% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Harvard University students is 185.2% larger than aid received University of California Berkeley ($61,801 vs. $21,669)

UC Berkeley vs. Harvard Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Harvard University (1497) is 100 points higher than at UC Berkeley (1397)
  • Incoming Harvard students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at UC Berkeley (32)
  • Accepted freshman Harvard students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at UC Berkeley (3.87)
  • UC Berkeley has a higher acceptance rate (11.3%) than Harvard (3.2%)

UC Berkeley vs. Harvard Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Harvard is higher than University of California Berkeley (97% vs. 90%)
  • Graduates from Harvard University earn on average $62,000 more per year than UC Berkeley graduates after ten years. ($136,700 vs. $74,700)
  • Harvard University students graduate with a $7,700 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Berkeley graduates. ($6,500 vs. $14,200)
  • Harvard graduates are paying $79 less per month on federal student loans than UC Berkeley graduates. ($67 vs. $146)
  • More UC Berkeley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Harvard students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 70%)

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