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University of Southern California (USC) vs Berkeley

Nestled in the heart of Los Angeles, the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of California-Berkeley (UCB) stand as two prominent beacons of higher education on the West Coast. While both institutions share a reputation for academic excellence, they offer distinct experiences for their students. USC, a private research university, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a more diverse student body compared to UCB, a public research university. UCB, on the other hand, offers a wider range of undergraduate majors and a slightly higher graduation rate. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into the specifics of these two esteemed universities, considering factors such as acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
University of California-Berkeley logo

University of California-Berkeley

 		University of Southern California logo

University of Southern California

Overview

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

Admission

Acceptance rate 14.4% 12.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70
Graduate: $120
Undergraduate: $85
Graduate: $90
SAT range N/A 1410 - 1540
ACT range N/A 32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 31.0%
Students submitting ACT score 19.0%
Total number of applicants 112,843 71,031
Total number of admissions given out 16,295 8,884
Admitted students who chose to enroll 6,931 3,668
Yield rate 42.5% 41.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $37,920
Out of state: $67,674
$81,659
Average net price $17,652 $26,021
Tuition
In state: $11,442
Out of state: $41,196
$60,446
Room & board $20,236
Room/dormitory: $10,098
Meal plan: $6,634
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

 52.0%
Average amount $21,406 		72.0%
Average amount $40,690
Students receiving federal student loan 15.0%
Average amount $4,586 		22.0%
Average amount $4,215
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $7,122 		2.0%
Average amount $29,056

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students 31,814
Men 45.4% Women 54.6% 		20,790
Men 48.5% Women 51.5%
Graduate students 13,222
Men 51.7% Women 48.3% 		28,528
Men 44.3% Women 55.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 16.9% 49.9%
International students 18.0% 23.8%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 9,630 8,700
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California New Jersey Texas Virginia New York California Texas New York Illinois Florida

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Legal Profession
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio 20:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 92.8% 92.0%
Dropout rate 6.3% 7.2%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $104,166
  • Year 2: $187,234
  • Year 3: $221,418
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $167,228
  • Year 2: $163,225
  • Year 3: $161,094
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $106,344
  • Year 2: $126,683
  • Year 3: $148,434
Marketing (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $113,473
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $147,381
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $110,796
  • Year 2: $116,083
  • Year 3: $146,357
Legal Professions and Studies, Other (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $79,420
  • Year 2: $88,198
  • Year 3: $140,330
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $127,841
  • Year 2: $131,090
  • Year 3: $140,129
Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $135,775
  • Year 2: $135,393
  • Year 3: $136,848
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $121,676
  • Year 2: $101,072
  • Year 3: $134,632
Real Estate Development (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $119,991
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $125,784

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