CU Boulder vs. UCLA vs. UC Berkeley vs. UC Davis

Should I go to University of Colorado Boulder or University of California Los Angeles? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CU Boulder 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 Colorado Boulder vs. University of California Los Angeles vs. University of California Berkeley vs. University of California Davis comparison
University of Colorado Boulder University of California Los Angeles University of California Berkeley University of California Davis
University of Colorado Boulder University of California Los Angeles University of California Berkeley University of California Davis
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Overview

 CU Boulder UCLA UC Berkeley UC Davis
Location Boulder, CO Los Angeles, CA Berkeley, CA Davis, CA
Setting Small City Large City Midsize City Small Suburban
Enrollment 41,432 46,678 45,699 39,707
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #197 #62 #64 #99
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website colorado.edu ucla.edu berkeley.edu ucdavis.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 CU Boulder UCLA UC Berkeley UC Davis
Tuition (In State) $14,784 $11,834 $11,834 $11,834
Tuition (Out of State) $40,297 $42,611 $42,611 $42,611
Room & Board $16,950 $17,148 $22,692 $19,068
Avg Net Price $22,640 $15,166 $16,997 $17,315
Avg Grant Aid $10,838 $22,441 $25,951 $21,258
% Receiving Grant Aid 54% 49% 50% 51%

Admission

 CU Boulder UCLA UC Berkeley UC Davis
Applied 56,069 145,903 125,910 94,637
Admitted 46,692 12,736 14,677 39,400
Acceptance Rate 83.3% 8.7% 11.7% 31.3%
Enrolled % 16.2% 51.7% 45.2% 44.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.68 3.92 3.87 4.0
Typical High School Grades B+ A- A- A/A+
Admissions Standards Very High Elite Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High Low
ACT Range 28/33 29/35 30/35 25/33
SAT Range 1230/1420 1300/1530 1310/1530 1160/1400
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) 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 Jan 15, 2026 Nov 30, 2025 Nov 30, 2025 Nov 30, 2025

Academics

 CU Boulder UCLA UC Berkeley UC Davis
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 18:1 18:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (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%)
  • Biology (17%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (6%)
  • Foreign Languages (4%)

Outcomes

 CU Boulder UCLA UC Berkeley UC Davis
Graduation Rate 68% 90% 90% 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $56,900 $70,700 $74,700 $65,200
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 78% 79% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,500 $16,300 $14,200 $14,676
Median Loan Payment $201 $168 $146 $151

Diversity

 CU Boulder UCLA UC Berkeley UC Davis
% Men 14% 15% 14% 9%
% Women 9% 14% 13% 11%
Racial Diversity Low Very High Very High Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 71% 27% 27% 28%
% Black 2% 3% 2% 2%
% Hispanic 11% 21% 14% 19%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5% 5% 5%
% International 6% 13% 14% 11%
% Unknown Race 1% 2% 3% 1%

Students

 CU Boulder UCLA UC Berkeley UC Davis
% In-State 53% 79% 79% 79%
% Out-of-State 45% 13% 10% 5%

Campus

 CU Boulder UCLA UC Berkeley UC Davis
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
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Comparable Facts

  • University of California Los Angeles is larger than than CU Boulder based on total student enrollment (46,678 students vs. 41,432 students)

CU Boulder vs. UCLA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CU Boulder or UCLA?

  • University of Colorado Boulder is 24.9% more expensive to attend than UCLA for in-state tuition ($14,784.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.7% higher at UCLA than University of Colorado Boulder ($42,611.00 vs. $40,297.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Los Angeles than CU Boulder ($15,166 vs. $22,640)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Colorado Boulder are 1.2% lower than costs at University of California Los Angeles ($16,950 vs. $17,148)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Colorado Boulder than University of California Los Angeles (54% vs. 49%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Los Angeles students is 107.1% larger than aid received University of Colorado Boulder ($22,441 vs. $10,838)

CU Boulder vs. UCLA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Los Angeles (1339) is 127 points higher than at CU Boulder (1212)
  • Incoming UCLA students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at CU Boulder (27)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at CU Boulder (3.68)
  • CU Boulder has a higher acceptance rate (83.3%) than UCLA (8.7%)

CU Boulder vs. UCLA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CU Boulder 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 CU Boulder.

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than University of Colorado Boulder (90% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from University of California Los Angeles earn on average $13,800 more per year than CU Boulder graduates after ten years. ($70,700 vs. $56,900)
  • University of California Los Angeles students graduate with a $3,200 lower median federal student loan debt than CU Boulder graduates. ($16,300 vs. $19,500)
  • UCLA graduates are paying $33 less per month on federal student loans than CU Boulder graduates. ($168 vs. $201)
  • More UCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CU Boulder students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 73%)

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