UC Berkeley vs. UCLA vs. Michigan vs. UVA

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 vs. University of Michigan vs. University of Virginia Main Campus comparison
University of California Berkeley University of California Los Angeles University of Michigan University of Virginia Main Campus
University of California Berkeley University of California Los Angeles University of Michigan University of Virginia Main Campus
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Overview

 UC Berkeley UCLA Michigan UVA
Location Berkeley, CA Los Angeles, CA Ann Arbor, MI Charlottesville, VA
Setting Midsize City Large City Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 45,699 46,678 52,065 25,924
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #64 #62 #47 #63
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website berkeley.edu ucla.edu umich.edu virginia.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 UC Berkeley UCLA Michigan UVA
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $11,834 $16,896 $17,490
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $42,611 $57,740 $53,836
Room & Board $22,692 $17,148 $13,856 $13,940
Avg Net Price $16,997 $15,166 $19,005 $17,831
Avg Grant Aid $25,951 $22,441 $22,005 $29,675
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 49% 55% 28%

Admission

 UC Berkeley UCLA Michigan UVA
Applied 125,910 145,903 87,632 56,528
Admitted 14,677 12,736 15,722 9,533
Acceptance Rate 11.7% 8.7% 17.9% 10.9%
Enrolled % 45.2% 51.7% 47.5% 25.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.92 3.88 3.85
Typical High School Grades A- A- A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme Very High Very High
ACT Range 30/35 29/35 31/34 32/34
SAT Range 1310/1530 1300/1530 1350/1530 1410/1530
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Nov 30, 2025 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 UC Berkeley UCLA Michigan UVA
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 18:1 11:1 15:1
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%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Engineering (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Business (5%)
  • Psychology (4%)

Outcomes

 UC Berkeley UCLA Michigan UVA
Graduation Rate 90% 90% 90% 94%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,700 $70,700 $74,400 $77,200
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 78% 78% 86%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,200 $16,300 $20,103 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $146 $168 $207 $201

Diversity

 UC Berkeley UCLA Michigan UVA
% Men 14% 15% 18% 15%
% Women 13% 14% 18% 17%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High Medium Medium
HBCU No No No No
% White 27% 27% 62% 60%
% Black 2% 3% 4% 6%
% Hispanic 14% 21% 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5% 3% 5%
% International 14% 13% 7% 5%
% Unknown Race 3% 2% 6% 6%

Students

 UC Berkeley UCLA Michigan UVA
% In-State 79% 79% 51% 65%
% Out-of-State 10% 13% 44% 29%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Los Angeles is larger than than UC Berkeley based on total student enrollment (46,678 students vs. 45,699 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 ($11,834.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at UC Berkeley as University of California Los Angeles ($42,611.00 vs. $42,611.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Los Angeles than UC Berkeley ($15,166 vs. $16,997)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Los Angeles are 32.3% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($17,148 vs. $22,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Berkeley than University of California Los Angeles (50% vs. 49%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Berkeley students is 15.6% larger than aid received University of California Los Angeles ($25,951 vs. $22,441)

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 (11.7%) than UCLA (8.7%)

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/