UC Berkeley vs. Stanford

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

UC Berkeley Stanford
Location Berkeley, CA Stanford, CA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 45,307 18,283
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #63 #2
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website berkeley.edu stanford.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Berkeley Stanford
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $57,693
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $57,693
Room & Board $21,402 $18,619
Avg Net Price $19,257 $18,279
Avg Grant Aid $21,669 $60,619
% Receiving Grant Aid 52% 53%

Admission

UC Berkeley Stanford
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 128,209 56,378
Admitted 14,523 2,075
Acceptance Rate 11.3% 3.7%
Enrolled % 46.3% 83.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.96
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 1500/1580
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 2, 2024

Academics

UC Berkeley Stanford
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • General Studies (16%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (5%)

Outcomes

UC Berkeley Stanford
Graduation Rate 90% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,700 $122,900
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 88%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,200 $12,475
Median Loan Payment $146 $128

Diversity

UC Berkeley Stanford
% Men 46% 53%
% Women 54% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 37%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 14% 15%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 10%
% International 14% 9%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

UC Berkeley Stanford
% In-State 78% 35%
% Out-of-State 11% 48%

Campus

UC Berkeley Stanford
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 Stanford based on total student enrollment (45,307 students vs. 18,283 students)

UC Berkeley vs. Stanford Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Berkeley or Stanford?

  • Stanford University is 398.9% more expensive to attend than UC Berkeley for in-state tuition ($57,693.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 38.6% higher at Stanford than University of California Berkeley ($57,693.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Stanford University than UC Berkeley ($18,279 vs. $19,257)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Stanford University are 14.9% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($18,619 vs. $21,402)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Stanford University than University of California Berkeley (53% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Stanford University students is 179.7% larger than aid received University of California Berkeley ($60,619 vs. $21,669)

UC Berkeley vs. Stanford Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • 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 (11.3%) than Stanford (3.7%)

UC Berkeley vs. Stanford Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • 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/