Columbia vs Berkeley

Columbia University and University of California-Berkeley, two prestigious institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Columbia, located in the heart of New York City, boasts a lower acceptance rate (6.1%) compared to Berkeley's (17.5%). Both universities excel in various disciplines, with Columbia excelling in fields like economics, political science, and psychology, while Berkeley shines in engineering, computer science, and environmental science. Columbia's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students, while Berkeley has a larger undergraduate population. With comparable graduation rates, both universities ensure their students receive a top-notch education. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these esteemed institutions and make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Columbia University logo

Columbia University

University of California-Berkeley logo

University of California-Berkeley

Overview

Location New York, New York Berkeley, California
Campus setting City: Large City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 99.0% 96.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 4.1% 14.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $120
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
SAT range 1470 - 1570 N/A
ACT range 34 - 35 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 43.0%
Students submitting ACT score 28.0%
Total number of applicants 61,110 112,843
Total number of admissions given out 2,524 16,295
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,641 6,931
Yield rate 65.0% 42.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $90,882
In state: $37,920

Out of state: $67,674
Average net price $12,411 $17,652
Tuition $60,514
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,450

Meal plan: $6,000
$20,236
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

53.0%
Average amount $57,726
52.0%
Average amount $21,406
Students receiving federal student loan 7.0%
Average amount $5,511
15.0%
Average amount $4,586
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $34,119
6.0%
Average amount $7,122

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 8,832
Men 50.6% Women 49.4%
31,814
Men 45.4% Women 54.6%
Graduate students 24,944
Men 44.8% Women 55.2%
13,222
Men 51.7% Women 48.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 16.9%
International students 37.0% 18.0%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 13,071 9,630
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A California New Jersey Texas Virginia New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Legal Profession
  • Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 20:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 97.4% 92.8%
Dropout rate 1.7% 6.3%
Transferred out 0.7% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $193,362
  • Year 2: $180,752
  • Year 3: $230,020
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $162,427
  • Year 2: $170,426
  • Year 3: $179,305
Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $153,730
  • Year 2: $160,605
  • Year 3: $167,216
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $133,851
  • Year 2: $143,033
  • Year 3: $166,695
Operations Research (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $111,312
  • Year 2: $114,503
  • Year 3: $148,040
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,903
  • Year 2: $103,078
  • Year 3: $135,658
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $115,222
  • Year 2: $127,993
  • Year 3: $131,926
Construction Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,322
  • Year 2: $110,878
  • Year 3: $125,926
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $111,569
  • Year 2: $109,659
  • Year 3: $119,899
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,223
  • Year 2: $100,127
  • Year 3: $118,332
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $171,936
  • Year 3: $191,597
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $167,052
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $125,250
  • Year 2: $125,388
  • Year 3: $161,399
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $126,367
  • Year 2: $128,868
  • Year 3: $160,666
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $160,390
  • Year 2: $142,470
  • Year 3: $143,984
Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $119,358
  • Year 3: $143,516
Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $107,442
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $112,973
Optometry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,750
  • Year 2: $91,363
  • Year 3: $104,601
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,600
  • Year 2: $85,760
  • Year 3: $103,738
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,282
  • Year 2: $65,387
  • Year 3: $102,543

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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