UC Berkeley vs. UC Riverside

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

 UC Berkeley UC Riverside
Location Berkeley, CA Riverside, CA
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 45,307 26,809
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #63 #272
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website berkeley.edu ucr.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Berkeley UC Riverside
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $21,402 $17,333
Avg Net Price $19,257 $14,487
Avg Grant Aid $21,669 $22,042
% Receiving Grant Aid 52% 75%

Admission

 UC Berkeley UC Riverside
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 128,209 54,683
Admitted 14,523 37,563
Acceptance Rate 11.3% 68.7%
Enrolled % 46.3% 14.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.84
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Difficult
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 30/35 22/31
SAT Range 1310/1530 1080/1280
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 UC Riverside
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 24:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)

Outcomes

 UC Berkeley UC Riverside
Graduation Rate 90% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,700 $52,200
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,200 $19,109
Median Loan Payment $146 $197

Diversity

 UC Berkeley UC Riverside
% Men 46% 49%
% Women 54% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 13%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 14% 36%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 14% 4%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 UC Berkeley UC Riverside
% In-State 78% 94%
% Out-of-State 11% 2%

Campus

 UC Berkeley UC Riverside
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 UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (45,307 students vs. 26,809 students)

UC Berkeley vs. UC Riverside Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Berkeley or UC Riverside?

  • University of California Berkeley and UC Riverside 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 Riverside ($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 Riverside than UC Berkeley ($14,487 vs. $19,257)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Riverside are 23.5% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($17,333 vs. $21,402)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Riverside than University of California Berkeley (75% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 1.7% larger than aid received University of California Berkeley ($22,042 vs. $21,669)

UC Berkeley vs. UC Riverside Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Berkeley (1397) is 278 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming UC Berkeley students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at UC Riverside (26)
  • Accepted freshman UC Berkeley students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.87) than students at UC Riverside (3.84)
  • UC Riverside has a higher acceptance rate (68.7%) than UC Berkeley (11.3%)

UC Berkeley vs. UC Riverside Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UC Berkeley is higher than University of California Riverside (90% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from University of California Berkeley earn on average $22,500 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($74,700 vs. $52,200)
  • University of California Berkeley students graduate with a $4,909 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Riverside graduates. ($14,200 vs. $19,109)
  • UC Berkeley graduates are paying $51 less per month on federal student loans than UC Riverside graduates. ($146 vs. $197)
  • More UC Berkeley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 65%)

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