UC Berkeley vs. SCU

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

 UC Berkeley SCU
Location Berkeley, CA Santa Clara, CA
Setting Midsize City Midsize City
Enrollment 45,307 9,178
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #63 #62
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website berkeley.edu scu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Berkeley SCU
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $56,880
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $56,880
Room & Board $21,402 $17,112
Avg Net Price $19,257 $50,551
Avg Grant Aid $21,669 $25,295
% Receiving Grant Aid 52% 72%

Admission

 UC Berkeley SCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 128,209 16,650
Admitted 14,523 8,677
Acceptance Rate 11.3% 52.1%
Enrolled % 46.3% 18.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.67
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 30/35 29/33
SAT Range 1310/1530 1290/1480
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 7, 2024

Academics

 UC Berkeley SCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Business (33%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

 UC Berkeley SCU
Graduation Rate 90% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,700 $81,900
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,200 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $146 $222

Diversity

 UC Berkeley SCU
% Men 46% 50%
% Women 54% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 49%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 14% 17%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 7%
% International 14% 3%
% Unknown Race 3% 4%

Students

 UC Berkeley SCU
% In-State 78% 50%
% Out-of-State 11% 40%

Campus

 UC Berkeley SCU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
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 SCU based on total student enrollment (45,307 students vs. 9,178 students)

UC Berkeley vs. SCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Berkeley or SCU?

  • Santa Clara University is 391.9% more expensive to attend than UC Berkeley for in-state tuition ($56,880.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.6% higher at SCU than University of California Berkeley ($56,880.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Berkeley than SCU ($19,257 vs. $50,551)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Clara University are 25.1% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($17,112 vs. $21,402)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Santa Clara University than University of California Berkeley (72% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Clara University students is 16.7% larger than aid received University of California Berkeley ($25,295 vs. $21,669)

UC Berkeley vs. SCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Berkeley (1397) is 84 points higher than at SCU (1313)
  • Incoming UC Berkeley students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at SCU (30)
  • Accepted freshman UC Berkeley students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.87) than students at SCU (3.67)
  • SCU has a higher acceptance rate (52.1%) than UC Berkeley (11.3%)

UC Berkeley vs. SCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UC Berkeley is higher than Santa Clara University (90% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Santa Clara University earn on average $7,200 more per year than UC Berkeley graduates after ten years. ($81,900 vs. $74,700)
  • University of California Berkeley students graduate with a $7,300 lower median federal student loan debt than SCU graduates. ($14,200 vs. $21,500)
  • UC Berkeley graduates are paying $76 less per month on federal student loans than SCU graduates. ($146 vs. $222)
  • More SCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Berkeley students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 79%)

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