While planning to study in USA, opting between Columbia University and UC Berkeley can be difficult. With similar rankings across the world among various agencies and the same competitive score, the choice between two of the top universities in US lies on various other grounds. Detailed below is their comparison to help you better understand which one to opt for.
Columbia University | University of California | |
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Collegedunia Score | 8.4 Out of 10 | 8.4 Out of 10 |
ranking (overall) | # 12 US News 2024 # 17 Times Higher Education 2024 # 23 QS World University 2024 | # 9 Times Higher Education 2024 # 10 QS World University 2024 # 15 US News 2024 |
Subject Strength | # 17 for Engineering by US News 2024 # 4 for Medicine by US News 2024 # 4 for Law by Times Higher Education 2024 | # 3 for Engineering by US News 2024 # 24 for Medicine by QS World University 2023 # 6 for Law by Times Higher Education 2024 |
Programs | UG Programs -23 PG Programs -58 Doctorate Programs -7 | UG Programs -19 PG Programs -39 Doctorate Programs -13 |
Acceptance Rate | 7.0 % | 16.8 % |
Exam Score | GMAT - 680 IELTS - 7 SAT - 1410 TOEFL - 100 | GMAT - 680 GRE updated - 310 IELTS - 6.5 SAT - 1330 TOEFL - 80 |
Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 58440 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 53040 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 10416 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 41196 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 26544 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 57578 Per Year |
placement (average package) | Columbia University is one of the top private universities in New York City, United States. It is ranked #22 in QS World University Rankings 2023. Ranked #18 in Graduate Employability Rank Base Salaries by the following degrees: Bachelor (Other): $500,000 Other Degree: $280,000 Doctorate: $200,000 Executive MBA: $175,000 MBA: $150,000 Executive Masters: $147,000 | Some programs and the average salary are: Degree Average Salary Executive Masters $195,000 MBA $150,000 Masters in Finance $144,000 PhD $143,000 Doctorate $140,000 Bachelor (Other) $121,000 |
application requirements | Academic transcripts, 2-3 LORs, SOPs/ Essays, Resume, School report, Standardized tests, Proof of English language proficiency, Additional requirements (work experience, interview, research proposal, etc.) | LORs (usually three); |
Campuses and B-Schools | Teachers College at Columbia University Columbia Business School | Haas School of Business |
CollegeDunia Reviews | 7.6/10 Read 11 reviews | 6.9/10 Read 11 reviews |
Other Popular Comparisons
General Facts | Columbia University | University of California |
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Type of University | University | University |
Established | 1754 | 1868 |
Student:Faculty Ratio | 6:1 | 18:1 |
Male:Female | 52% Male, 48% Female | 0% Male, 0% Female |
Location Facts | Lies in the heart of NYC on Broadway and two faculties located outside Manhattan. | Overlooking the San Francisco Bay, UC Berkeley campus is spread over approximately 1,232 acres of land. It is the oldest of the ten campuses of University of California. |
Library | The low memorial library is a landmark. The university owns around 23 libraries scattered across the city. | UCB Library is the fourth largest library in USA comprising 24 libraries, 325 employees and 832 student employees. UCB Library has 13 million volumes in 300+ languages which includes printed books, journals, e-books, etc. |
Campus Life | Art Gallery The university offers it all!!! | UCB consists of the Sather Tower, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Hall of Science, Space Sciences Laboratory, UC Botanical Garden, UC Museum of Paleontology, UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA). |
Hostel | #First-Year Residents - $10416 | #Room & Board - $16242 #Room & Board--Apartment - $20168 #Room & Board--Residence Hall - $21168 |
Famous Alumni | Barak Obama (Former US President), Alexander Hamilton (founding father of USA), Alicia Keys (singer), Sara Ali Khan (actress), Dorothy Irene Height (Women rights activist), Jake Gyllenhall (actor). | With a total of 520,566 alumni, UCB has 31 Nobel Laureates, 207 Turing Award, 20 Academic Awards, 20 Pulitzer Prize winners. |
Weather |
As per various ranking agencies and global ranking agencies, both Columbia University and University of California, Berkeley lie near each other. Where Columbia aces world rankings as per QS (2020), UC Berkeley aces THE rankings (2020). Both universities offer an international student with a different experience. Discussed below are certain factors that should be considered when choosing between the two:
Why Study at UC Berkeley?
- A higher acceptance rate (approx ~9%) at UCB ensures better chances of entry.
- Lower tuition fees. UC Berkeley has tuition fees of around 16,000 USD lesser than Columbia University.
- Lesser scores required for exams required to study in USA when pursuing studies from UC Berkeley.
- UC Berkeley alumni community has more Nobel laureates as compared to Columbia University.
- Graduate Employability rankings for UC Berkeley is better than Columbia University, suggesting that pursuing PG programs from UC Berkeley have better outcomes than PG courses at Columbia University.
Why Study at Columbia University?
- The number of undergraduate programs at Columbia is more than UC Berkeley.
- Higher graduation rate
- MBA at Columbia is ranked better as per Financial Times 2020 MBA in the world.
- 75% Financial cover is offered to chosen international students which is substantially higher than UC Berkeley.
- ?Columbia offers one of the best financial aids to international students all over US universities.
- On-campus hostel and meal costs are lower.
- Admissions to Columbia can be made through common application portal.
- Lower student:faculty ratio.
Though getting admissions in Columbia university is rather tough, but the lower student-faculty ratio, better course curriculum and other features are an added advantage. However, UC Berkeley is ranked better in various fields such as electrical engineering, arts, and humanities, etc. When planning to study in the USA, opting between Columbia University and UC Berkeley highly depends on a variety of aspects. These include course curriculum, subject rankings, preferred study location, scores obtained in standardized tests, etc. The choice will henceforth, highly dependent on the student's/aspirants' personal preferences.