UC Berkeley vs. USD

Should I go to University of California Berkeley or University of San Diego? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Berkeley or USD 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UCSD San Diego State UCLA Loyola Marymount Chapman Stanford UT Austin UC Davis Michigan UCSB Pepperdine SCU
University of California Berkeley vs. University of San Diego comparison
University of California Berkeley University of San Diego College 3 College 4
University of California Berkeley University of San Diego
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

UC Berkeley USD
Location Berkeley, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 45,307 8,815
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #63
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website berkeley.edu sandiego.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Berkeley USD
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $53,810
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $53,810
Room & Board $21,402 $17,010
Avg Net Price $19,257 $36,008
Avg Grant Aid $21,669 $36,408
% Receiving Grant Aid 52% 83%

Admission

UC Berkeley USD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 128,209 14,334
Admitted 14,523 7,541
Acceptance Rate 11.3% 52.6%
Enrolled % 46.3% 16.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.95
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Unavailable
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 30/35
SAT Range 1310/1530
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 Dec 15, 2024

Academics

UC Berkeley USD
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Business (39%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

UC Berkeley USD
Graduation Rate 90% 75%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,700 $70,200
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,200 $22,904
Median Loan Payment $146 $236

Diversity

UC Berkeley USD
% Men 46% 43%
% Women 54% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 53%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 14% 19%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 14% 7%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

UC Berkeley USD
% In-State 78% 55%
% Out-of-State 11% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Berkeley is larger than than USD based on total student enrollment (45,307 students vs. 8,815 students)

UC Berkeley vs. USD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Berkeley or USD?

  • University of San Diego is 365.3% more expensive to attend than UC Berkeley for in-state tuition ($53,810.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 29.2% higher at USD than University of California Berkeley ($53,810.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Berkeley than USD ($19,257 vs. $36,008)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of San Diego are 25.8% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($17,010 vs. $21,402)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of San Diego than University of California Berkeley (83% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Diego students is 68% larger than aid received University of California Berkeley ($36,408 vs. $21,669)

UC Berkeley vs. USD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Berkeley (1397) is 161 points higher than at USD (1236)
  • Incoming UC Berkeley students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at USD (28)
  • Accepted freshman USD students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at UC Berkeley (3.87)
  • USD has a higher acceptance rate (52.6%) than UC Berkeley (11.3%)

UC Berkeley vs. USD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Berkeley or USD? 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 USD and UC Berkeley.

  • The graduation rate at UC Berkeley is higher than University of San Diego (90% vs. 75%)
  • Graduates from University of California Berkeley earn on average $4,500 more per year than USD graduates after ten years. ($74,700 vs. $70,200)
  • University of California Berkeley students graduate with a $8,704 lower median federal student loan debt than USD graduates. ($14,200 vs. $22,904)
  • UC Berkeley graduates are paying $90 less per month on federal student loans than USD graduates. ($146 vs. $236)
  • More UC Berkeley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USD students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 78%)

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