Purdue vs Berkeley

Purdue University-Main Campus and University of California-Berkeley, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Purdue, a public research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, boasts a lower acceptance rate (29%) compared to Berkeley's (17%). Both universities excel in STEM fields, with Purdue excelling in engineering and Berkeley in computer science. Purdue's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students, while Berkeley's student body is larger and more ethnically diverse. Berkeley has a slightly higher graduation rate (88%) compared to Purdue's (84%). Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Purdue University-Main Campus logo

Purdue University-Main Campus

University of California-Berkeley logo

University of California-Berkeley

Overview

Location West Lafayette, Indiana Berkeley, California
Campus setting City: Small City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 91.0% 96.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 68.8% 14.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $60
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
SAT range 1190 - 1430 N/A
ACT range 26 - 33 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 62.0%
Students submitting ACT score 31.0%
Total number of applicants 59,436 112,843
Total number of admissions given out 40,898 16,295
Admitted students who chose to enroll 10,278 6,931
Yield rate 25.1% 42.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA 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
In state: $22,812

Out of state: $41,614
In state: $37,920

Out of state: $67,674
Average net price $14,619 $17,652
Tuition
In state: $9,718

Out of state: $28,520
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,860

Meal plan: $5,398
$20,236
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

68.0%
Average amount $7,324
52.0%
Average amount $21,406
Students receiving federal student loan 29.0%
Average amount $5,101
15.0%
Average amount $4,586
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $18,535
6.0%
Average amount $7,122

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 37,806
Men 57.8% Women 42.2%
31,814
Men 45.4% Women 54.6%
Graduate students 12,538
Men 57.5% Women 42.5%
13,222
Men 51.7% Women 48.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 51.2% 16.9%
International students 17.8% 18.0%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 15,597 9,630
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Indiana Illinois California New Jersey Ohio California New Jersey Texas Virginia New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Legal Profession
  • Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 20:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 82.7% 92.8%
Dropout rate 16.0% 6.3%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $86,594
  • Year 2: $112,363
  • Year 3: $123,756
Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,166
  • Year 2: $94,408
  • Year 3: $110,527
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,310
  • Year 2: $88,342
  • Year 3: $105,735
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,040
  • Year 2: $92,632
  • Year 3: $104,408
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,895
  • Year 2: $84,653
  • Year 3: $101,018
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $81,749
  • Year 2: $85,981
  • Year 3: $94,727
Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,821
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $89,107
Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,034
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $88,209
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,843
  • Year 2: $72,448
  • Year 3: $85,950
Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,780
  • Year 2: $70,057
  • Year 3: $79,694
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

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