UC Berkeley vs. UCLA

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

 UC Berkeley UCLA
Location Berkeley, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 45,307 46,430
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #63 #58
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website berkeley.edu ucla.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Berkeley UCLA
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $21,402 $17,231
Avg Net Price $19,257 $16,999
Avg Grant Aid $21,669 $21,766
% Receiving Grant Aid 52% 46%

Admission

 UC Berkeley UCLA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 128,209 149,801
Admitted 14,523 12,845
Acceptance Rate 11.3% 8.6%
Enrolled % 46.3% 50.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.92
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 30/35 29/35
SAT Range 1310/1530 1300/1530
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

 UC Berkeley UCLA
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)

Outcomes

 UC Berkeley UCLA
Graduation Rate 90% 90%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,700 $70,700
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,200 $16,300
Median Loan Payment $146 $168

Diversity

 UC Berkeley UCLA
% Men 46% 43%
% Women 54% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 27%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 14% 21%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 14% 13%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 UC Berkeley UCLA
% In-State 78% 77%
% Out-of-State 11% 15%

Campus

 UC Berkeley UCLA
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 Los Angeles is larger than than UC Berkeley based on total student enrollment (46,430 students vs. 45,307 students)

UC Berkeley vs. UCLA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Berkeley or UCLA?

  • University of California Berkeley and UCLA cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at UC Berkeley as University of California Los Angeles ($41,636.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Los Angeles than UC Berkeley ($16,999 vs. $19,257)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Los Angeles are 24.2% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($17,231 vs. $21,402)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Berkeley than University of California Los Angeles (52% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Los Angeles students is 0.4% larger than aid received University of California Berkeley ($21,766 vs. $21,669)

UC Berkeley vs. UCLA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Berkeley (1397) is 58 points higher than at UCLA (1339)
  • Incoming UC Berkeley students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at UCLA (31)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at UC Berkeley (3.87)
  • UC Berkeley has a higher acceptance rate (11.3%) than UCLA (8.6%)

UC Berkeley vs. UCLA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UC Berkeley is the same as at University of California Los Angeles (90% vs. 90%)
  • Graduates from University of California Berkeley earn on average $4,000 more per year than UCLA graduates after ten years. ($74,700 vs. $70,700)
  • University of California Berkeley students graduate with a $2,100 lower median federal student loan debt than UCLA graduates. ($14,200 vs. $16,300)
  • UC Berkeley graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than UCLA graduates. ($146 vs. $168)
  • More UC Berkeley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCLA students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 78%)

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