Cornell vs Berkeley

Cornell University and University of California-Berkeley, two prestigious institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Cornell, nestled in the scenic Finger Lakes region of New York, boasts a lower acceptance rate (10.3%) compared to Berkeley's (17.5%). Both universities excel in various disciplines, with Cornell known for its strength in engineering, agriculture, and hospitality, while Berkeley shines in computer science, engineering, and social sciences. Cornell's student body is slightly larger, with an undergraduate population of around 15,000 compared to Berkeley's 14,000. Berkeley, located in the vibrant city of Berkeley, California, offers a more diverse student body, with a higher percentage of international students. While Cornell boasts a slightly higher graduation rate (91%) than Berkeley's (89%), both universities are committed to providing their students with a top-notch education that prepares them for successful careers. Explore the detailed comparison table below to
Cornell University logo

Cornell University

University of California-Berkeley logo

University of California-Berkeley

Overview

Location Ithaca, New York Berkeley, California
Campus setting City: Small 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 97.0% 96.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 8.7% 14.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $105
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
SAT range 1450 - 1560 N/A
ACT range 33 - 35 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 41.0%
Students submitting ACT score 20.0%
Total number of applicants 67,380 112,843
Total number of admissions given out 5,852 16,295
Admitted students who chose to enroll 3,718 6,931
Yield rate 63.5% 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) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $80,287
In state: $37,920

Out of state: $67,674
Average net price $24,262 $17,652
Tuition $60,286
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,962

Meal plan: $6,434
$20,236
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

50.0%
Average amount $52,674
52.0%
Average amount $21,406
Students receiving federal student loan 26.0%
Average amount $3,924
15.0%
Average amount $4,586
Students taking out private loans 16.0%
Average amount $8,357
6.0%
Average amount $7,122

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 15,503
Men 46.1% Women 53.9%
31,814
Men 45.4% Women 54.6%
Graduate students 10,079
Men 51.0% Women 49.0%
13,222
Men 51.7% Women 48.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 64.3% 16.9%
International students 24.4% 18.0%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 7,422 9,630
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California New Jersey Florida Pennsylvania California New Jersey Texas Virginia New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Agriculture
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Legal Profession
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Legal Profession
  • Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 20:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 94.1% 92.8%
Dropout rate 5.2% 6.3%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $185,154
  • Year 2: $172,867
  • Year 3: $207,272
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $150,786
  • Year 2: $145,332
  • Year 3: $167,695
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $127,764
  • Year 2: $122,485
  • Year 3: $158,076
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $147,241
  • Year 2: $127,397
  • Year 3: $155,653
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $114,311
  • Year 2: $111,926
  • Year 3: $126,082
Operations Research (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,067
  • Year 2: $109,763
  • Year 3: $124,590
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $88,459
  • Year 2: $92,277
  • Year 3: $109,597
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,672
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $109,553
Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,847
  • Year 2: $94,408
  • Year 3: $107,658
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $101,072
  • Year 3: $106,693
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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