UC Berkeley vs UC San Diego: A Data-Driven Comparison
Admission Difficulty: Berkeley is significantly more selective with an 11.33% acceptance rate compared to UCSD's 23.71%, making Berkeley roughly twice as competitive for admission.
Cost and Value: Both schools offer similar tuition costs, with Berkeley charging $14,850 in-state and UCSD $15,265. However, UCSD provides better financial aid, resulting in a lower average net price of $11,750 versus Berkeley's $14,979. Berkeley graduates earn more long-term, with median 10-year earnings of $92,446 compared to UCSD's $84,943.
Academic Strengths: Berkeley excels in engineering, computer science, business, and social sciences, ranking among the top public universities nationally. UCSD is particularly strong in STEM fields, especially biology, medicine, and oceanography, with world-class research facilities in these areas.
Campus Experience: Both universities enroll similar numbers of students (Berkeley: 33,073, UCSD: 33,787) with comparable student-faculty ratios (18:1 vs 19:1). Berkeley offers Division I athletics and a more traditional college town atmosphere, while UCSD provides Division II sports and a modern campus near the Pacific Ocean.
Outcomes: Berkeley demonstrates stronger retention (96.75% vs 93.92%) and graduation rates (92.90% vs 87.60%). Berkeley graduates carry less debt ($13,000 vs $15,500 median).
Berkeley suits students seeking intense academic competition and traditional university culture, while UCSD better fits those wanting strong STEM programs with a more relaxed coastal environment and better financial aid packages.
Admission Difficulty: Berkeley is significantly more selective with an 11.33% acceptance rate compared to UCSD's 23.71%, making Berkeley roughly twice as competitive for admission.
Cost and Value: Both schools offer similar tuition costs, with Berkeley charging $14,850 in-state and UCSD $15,265. However, UCSD provides better financial aid, resulting in a lower average net price of $11,750 versus Berkeley's $14,979. Berkeley graduates earn more long-term, with median 10-year earnings of $92,446 compared to UCSD's $84,943.
Academic Strengths: Berkeley excels in engineering, computer science, business, and social sciences, ranking among the top public universities nationally. UCSD is particularly strong in STEM fields, especially biology, medicine, and oceanography, with world-class research facilities in these areas.
Campus Experience: Both universities enroll similar numbers of students (Berkeley: 33,073, UCSD: 33,787) with comparable student-faculty ratios (18:1 vs 19:1). Berkeley offers Division I athletics and a more traditional college town atmosphere, while UCSD provides Division II sports and a modern campus near the Pacific Ocean.
Outcomes: Berkeley demonstrates stronger retention (96.75% vs 93.92%) and graduation rates (92.90% vs 87.60%). Berkeley graduates carry less debt ($13,000 vs $15,500 median).
Berkeley suits students seeking intense academic competition and traditional university culture, while UCSD better fits those wanting strong STEM programs with a more relaxed coastal environment and better financial aid packages.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| University of California-Berkeley | University of California-San Diego | |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance Rate | 11.3% | 23.7% |
| Enrollment | 33,073 | 33,787 |
| In-State Tuition | $14,850 | $15,265 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $45,627 | $46,042 |
| Net Price | $14,979 | $11,750 |
| Graduation Rate (6-year) | 92.9% | 87.6% |
| Retention Rate | 96.8% | 93.9% |
| Median Earnings (10yr) | $92,446 | $84,943 |
| Median Debt | $13,000 | $15,500 |
Top Programs by Earnings
Top 5 bachelor's programs at each school, ranked by median graduate earnings.
| University of California-Berkeley | University of California-San Diego | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Program | Earnings | Program | Earnings |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering. | $128,868 | Computer Science. | $86,972 |
| Computer Science. | $125,388 | Computer Engineering. | $79,688 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | $81,456 | Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology. | $71,015 |
| Chemical Engineering. | $80,718 | Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering. | $69,606 |
| Operations Research. | $76,460 | Mechanical Engineering. | $67,846 |