UCI vs. UCLA vs. UC Berkeley vs. UCI

Should I go to University of California Irvine or University of California Los Angeles? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCI 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.
You are comparing the maximum of four schools. Remove a college to compare additional schools.
University of California Irvine vs. University of California Los Angeles vs. University of California Berkeley vs. University of California Irvine comparison
University of California Irvine University of California Los Angeles University of California Berkeley University of California Irvine
University of California Irvine University of California Los Angeles University of California Berkeley University of California Irvine
Remove Remove Remove Remove

Overview

 UCI UCLA UC Berkeley UCI
Location Irvine, CA Los Angeles, CA Berkeley, CA Irvine, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Large City Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 36,582 46,678 45,699 36,582
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #93 #62 #64 #93
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu ucla.edu berkeley.edu uci.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 UCI UCLA UC Berkeley UCI
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $11,834 $11,834 $11,834
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $42,611 $42,611 $42,611
Room & Board $18,423 $17,148 $22,692 $18,423
Avg Net Price $14,647 $15,166 $16,997 $14,647
Avg Grant Aid $21,533 $22,441 $25,951 $21,533
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 49% 50% 65%

Admission

 UCI UCLA UC Berkeley UCI
Applied 121,101 145,903 125,910 121,101
Admitted 30,962 12,736 14,677 30,962
Acceptance Rate 25.6% 8.7% 11.7% 24.6%
Enrolled % 21.9% 51.7% 45.2% 46.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.92 3.87 3.75
Typical High School Grades A- A- A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite Elite Very High
Applicant Competition High Extreme Very High High
ACT Range 26/33 29/35 30/35 26/33
SAT Range 1230/1430 1300/1530 1310/1530 1230/1430
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Nov 30, 2025 Nov 30, 2025 Nov 30, 2025

Academics

 UCI UCLA UC Berkeley UCI
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 18:1 18:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Business (7%)
  • Engineering (6%)

Outcomes

 UCI UCLA UC Berkeley UCI
Graduation Rate 85% 90% 90% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 $70,700 $74,700 $61,800
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 78% 79% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $16,300 $14,200 $17,000
Median Loan Payment $175 $168 $146 $175

Diversity

 UCI UCLA UC Berkeley UCI
% Men 10% 15% 14% 10%
% Women 10% 14% 13% 10%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High Very High Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 15% 27% 27% 15%
% Black 2% 3% 2% 2%
% Hispanic 25% 21% 14% 25%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5% 5% 4%
% International 16% 13% 14% 16%
% Unknown Race 1% 2% 3% 1%

Students

 UCI UCLA UC Berkeley UCI
% In-State 77% 79% 79% 77%
% Out-of-State 8% 13% 10% 8%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Los Angeles is larger than than UCI based on total student enrollment (46,678 students vs. 36,582 students)

UCI vs. UCLA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or UCLA?

  • University of California Irvine 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 UCI 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 Irvine than UCLA ($14,647 vs. $15,166)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Los Angeles are 7.4% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($17,148 vs. $18,423)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Irvine than University of California Los Angeles (65% vs. 49%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Los Angeles students is 4.2% larger than aid received University of California Irvine ($22,441 vs. $21,533)

UCI vs. UCLA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Los Angeles (1339) is 164 points higher than at UCI (1175)
  • Incoming UCLA students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UCI (27)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at UCI (3.75)
  • UCI has a higher acceptance rate (25.6%) than UCLA (8.7%)

UCI vs. UCLA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCI 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 UCI.

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than University of California Irvine (90% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from University of California Los Angeles earn on average $8,900 more per year than UCI graduates after ten years. ($70,700 vs. $61,800)
  • University of California Los Angeles students graduate with a $700 lower median federal student loan debt than UCI graduates. ($16,300 vs. $17,000)
  • UCLA graduates are paying $7 less per month on federal student loans than UCI graduates. ($168 vs. $175)
  • More UCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCI students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 76%)

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