UCLA vs. UC Berkeley vs. USC vs. Stanford

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

 UCLA UC Berkeley USC Stanford
Location Los Angeles, CA Berkeley, CA Los Angeles, CA Stanford, CA
Setting Large City Midsize City Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 46,678 45,699 47,147 18,446
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #62 #64 #36 #2
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucla.edu berkeley.edu usc.edu stanford.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 UCLA UC Berkeley USC Stanford
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $11,834 $66,640 $61,731
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $42,611 $66,640 $61,731
Room & Board $17,148 $22,692 $19,198 $19,922
Avg Net Price $15,166 $16,997 $41,496 $17,998
Avg Grant Aid $22,441 $25,951 $43,208 $64,164
% Receiving Grant Aid 49% 50% 68% 55%

Admission

 UCLA UC Berkeley USC Stanford
Applied 145,903 125,910 80,808 53,733
Admitted 12,736 14,677 8,094 2,099
Acceptance Rate 8.7% 11.7% 10% 2.6%
Enrolled % 51.7% 45.2% 44.9% 21%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.87 3.83 3.96
Typical High School Grades A- A- A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High Very High Extreme
ACT Range 29/35 30/35 32/35 34/35
SAT Range 1300/1530 1310/1530 1440/1550 1510/1580
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 Jan 2, 2026

Academics

 UCLA UC Berkeley USC Stanford
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 18:1 9:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • 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%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Engineering (5%)
  • Biology (2%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (2%)

Outcomes

 UCLA UC Berkeley USC Stanford
Graduation Rate 90% 90% 90% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,700 $74,700 $85,500 $122,900
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 79% 81% 88%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,300 $14,200 $22,375 $12,475
Median Loan Payment $168 $146 $231 $128

Diversity

 UCLA UC Berkeley USC Stanford
% Men 15% 14% 25% 31%
% Women 14% 13% 30% 25%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High Very High Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 27% 27% 40% 37%
% Black 3% 2% 4% 6%
% Hispanic 21% 14% 14% 15%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5% 5% 10%
% International 13% 14% 13% 9%
% Unknown Race 2% 3% 1% 0%

Students

 UCLA UC Berkeley USC Stanford
% In-State 79% 79% 43% 37%
% Out-of-State 13% 10% 38% 47%

Campus

 UCLA UC Berkeley USC Stanford
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes Yes Yes
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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)

UCLA vs. UC Berkeley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCLA or UC Berkeley?

  • University of California Los Angeles and UC Berkeley 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 UCLA as University of California Berkeley ($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)

UCLA vs. UC Berkeley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • 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%)

UCLA vs. UC Berkeley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is the same as at University of California Berkeley (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/