UC Berkeley vs. SCI-Arc

Should I go to University of California Berkeley or Southern California Institute of Architecture? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Berkeley or SCI-Arc 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 California Berkeley vs. Southern California Institute of Architecture comparison
University of California Berkeley Southern California Institute of Architecture College 3 College 4
University of California Berkeley Southern California Institute of Architecture
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Overview

 UC Berkeley SCI-Arc
Location Berkeley, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 45,699 457
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #64
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website berkeley.edu sciarc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Berkeley SCI-Arc
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $51,964
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $51,964
Room & Board $22,692 $13,555
Avg Net Price $16,997 $21,514
Avg Grant Aid $25,951 $45,500
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 25%

Admission

 UC Berkeley SCI-Arc
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 125,910 606
Admitted 14,677 501
Acceptance Rate 11.7% 82.7%
Enrolled % 45.2% 7%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.5
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Moderate
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 30/35
SAT Range 1310/1530 1020/1230
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 UC Berkeley SCI-Arc
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Architecture (100%)

Outcomes

 UC Berkeley SCI-Arc
Graduation Rate 90% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,700 $46,400
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 62%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,200 $42,750
Median Loan Payment $146 $442

Diversity

 UC Berkeley SCI-Arc
% Men 14% 28%
% Women 13% 19%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 13%
% Black 2% 1%
% Hispanic 14% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 2%
% International 14% 51%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

 UC Berkeley SCI-Arc
% In-State 79% 29%
% Out-of-State 10% 14%

Campus

 UC Berkeley SCI-Arc
Campus Housing Yes No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Berkeley is larger than than SCI-Arc based on total student enrollment (45,699 students vs. 457 students)

UC Berkeley vs. SCI-Arc Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Berkeley or SCI-Arc?

  • Southern California Institute of Architecture is 339.1% more expensive to attend than UC Berkeley for in-state tuition ($51,964.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 21.9% higher at SCI-Arc than University of California Berkeley ($51,964.00 vs. $42,611.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Berkeley than SCI-Arc ($16,997 vs. $21,514)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southern California Institute of Architecture are 67.4% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($13,555 vs. $22,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Berkeley than Southern California Institute of Architecture (50% vs. 25%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Southern California Institute of Architecture students is 75.3% larger than aid received University of California Berkeley ($45,500 vs. $25,951)

UC Berkeley vs. SCI-Arc Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UC Berkeley or SCI-Arc? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between SCI-Arc or UC Berkeley .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Berkeley (1397) is 281 points higher than at SCI-Arc (1116)
  • Incoming UC Berkeley students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at SCI-Arc (27)
  • Accepted freshman UC Berkeley students have a 0.37 point higher average high school GPA (3.87) than students at SCI-Arc (3.5)
  • SCI-Arc has a higher acceptance rate (82.7%) than UC Berkeley (11.7%)

UC Berkeley vs. SCI-Arc Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Berkeley or SCI-Arc? 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 SCI-Arc and UC Berkeley.

  • The graduation rate at UC Berkeley is higher than Southern California Institute of Architecture (90% vs. 58%)
  • Graduates from University of California Berkeley earn on average $28,300 more per year than SCI-Arc graduates after ten years. ($74,700 vs. $46,400)
  • University of California Berkeley students graduate with a $28,550 lower median federal student loan debt than SCI-Arc graduates. ($14,200 vs. $42,750)
  • UC Berkeley graduates are paying $296 less per month on federal student loans than SCI-Arc graduates. ($146 vs. $442)
  • More UC Berkeley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SCI-Arc students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 62%)

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