U of K vs Berkeley

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of Lexington, Kentucky, and Berkeley, California, home to two esteemed institutions of higher learning: University of Kentucky (UK) and University of California-Berkeley (UCB). While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer distinct experiences shaped by their unique locations, student demographics, and academic strengths. UK, nestled in the heart of the Bluegrass State, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger undergraduate population, while UCB, situated in the San Francisco Bay Area, attracts a more diverse student body and excels in research and graduate programs. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into the details of these two exceptional universities, considering factors such as acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
University of California-Berkeley logo

University of California-Berkeley

University of Kentucky logo

University of Kentucky

Overview

Location Berkeley, California Lexington, Kentucky
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Large
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 96.0% 86.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 14.4% 94.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $65
SAT range N/A 1083 - 1330
ACT range N/A 22 - 29
Students submitting SAT score 10.0%
Students submitting ACT score 70.0%
Total number of applicants 112,843 21,695
Total number of admissions given out 16,295 20,396
Admitted students who chose to enroll 6,931 4,721
Yield rate 42.5% 23.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not 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
In state: $31,690

Out of state: $50,688
Average net price $17,652 $20,043
Tuition
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
In state: $11,247

Out of state: $30,245
Room & board $20,236
Room/dormitory: $9,650

Meal plan: $4,536
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

52.0%
Average amount $21,406
92.0%
Average amount $11,623
Students receiving federal student loan 15.0%
Average amount $4,586
41.0%
Average amount $5,177
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $7,122
9.0%
Average amount $19,204

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 31,814
Men 45.4% Women 54.6%
21,900
Men 43.1% Women 56.9%
Graduate students 13,222
Men 51.7% Women 48.3%
8,490
Men 37.7% Women 62.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 16.9% N/A
International students 18.0% 4.0%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 9,630 7,294
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 Ohio Illinois Georgia Tennessee

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Legal Profession
  • Health Professions
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio 20:1 16:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 92.8% 68.2%
Dropout rate 6.3% 30.6%
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
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $106,223
  • Year 2: $114,892
  • Year 3: $134,605
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $81,971
  • Year 2: $114,730
  • Year 3: $122,422
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $101,348
  • Year 2: $116,083
  • Year 3: $111,861
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,330
  • Year 2: $92,277
  • Year 3: $102,019
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,048
  • Year 2: $93,555
  • Year 3: $98,399
Mining and Mineral Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $83,128
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,062
  • Year 2: $62,260
  • Year 3: $78,282
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,632
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $76,500
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,089
  • Year 2: $70,512
  • Year 3: $74,487
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,465
  • Year 2: $68,666
  • Year 3: $72,801

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.
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs University of Arizona University of Arizona
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs California Institute of Technology California Institute of Technology
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs University of Colorado Boulder University of Colorado Boulder
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs University of Connecticut University of Connecticut
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs University of Delaware University of Delaware
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs Florida State University Florida State University
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs Iowa State University Iowa State University
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs University of Maine University of Maine
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs United States Naval Academy United States Naval Academy
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs University of Massachusetts-Amherst University of Massachusetts-Amherst
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs University of New Hampshire-Main Campus University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs Rutgers University-New Brunswick Rutgers University-New Brunswick
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs Jewish Theological Seminary of America Jewish Theological Seminary of America
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs Binghamton University Binghamton University
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs University of Rhode Island University of Rhode Island
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs The University of Texas at Dallas The University of Texas at Dallas
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs Texas Tech University Texas Tech University
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs Brigham Young University Brigham Young University
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs DeVry University-California DeVry University-California
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley vs DeVry University-Nevada DeVry University-Nevada
University of Kentucky U of K vs University of Alabama at Birmingham University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Kentucky U of K vs The University of Alabama The University of Alabama
University of Kentucky U of K vs Auburn University Auburn University
University of Kentucky U of K vs University of Arkansas University of Arkansas
University of Kentucky U of K vs University of California-Berkeley University of California-Berkeley
University of Kentucky U of K vs Samuel Merritt University Samuel Merritt University
University of Kentucky U of K vs Florida State University Florida State University
University of Kentucky U of K vs University of Georgia University of Georgia
University of Kentucky U of K vs University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Kentucky U of K vs University of Illinois Chicago University of Illinois Chicago
University of Kentucky U of K vs Iowa State University Iowa State University
University of Kentucky U of K vs University of Maryland-College Park University of Maryland-College Park
University of Kentucky U of K vs Harvard University Harvard University
University of Kentucky U of K vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Kentucky U of K vs Dartmouth College Dartmouth College
University of Kentucky U of K vs University of North Dakota University of North Dakota
University of Kentucky U of K vs North Dakota State University-Main Campus North Dakota State University-Main Campus
University of Kentucky U of K vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
University of Kentucky U of K vs Brown University Brown University
University of Kentucky U of K vs The University of Tennessee-Knoxville The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
University of Kentucky U of K vs Texas Tech University Texas Tech University
University of Kentucky U of K vs Brigham Young University Brigham Young University
University of Kentucky U of K vs Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
University of Kentucky U of K vs Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University
University of Kentucky U of K vs University of Washington-Seattle Campus University of Washington-Seattle Campus
University of Kentucky U of K vs West Virginia University West Virginia University
University of Kentucky U of K vs Stanford University Stanford University
University of Kentucky U of K vs The Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University