Columbia University vs University of California, Berkeley

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.

Overview Comparison
Columbia UniversityUniversity of California
Collegedunia Score8.4 Out of 108.4 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
ProgramsUG Programs -23
PG Programs -58
Doctorate Programs -7
UG Programs -19
PG Programs -39
Doctorate Programs -13
Acceptance Rate7.0 %16.8 %
Exam ScoreGMAT - 680
IELTS - 7
SAT - 1410
TOEFL - 100
GMAT - 680
GRE updated - 310
IELTS - 6.5
SAT - 1330
TOEFL - 80
Cost to StudyAverage 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);
SOP;
Resume;
Test Scores (such as TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, GRE, etc.)

Campuses and B-SchoolsTeachers College at Columbia University
Columbia Business School
Haas School of Business
CollegeDunia Reviews7.6/10 Read 11 reviews6.9/10 Read 11 reviews
General Facts Comparison
General FactsColumbia UniversityUniversity of California
Type of UniversityUniversity
University
Established1754
1868
Student:Faculty Ratio6:1
18:1
Male:Female52% Male, 48% Female0% Male, 0% Female
Location Facts

Lies in the heart of NYC on Broadway and two faculties located outside Manhattan.
Main campus occupies more than six city blocks in Morningside Heights.
Landmark includes National Historic Landmarks, including the Philosophy Hall or ‘the site of the invention of the FM radio’


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. 
Resources in over 450 languages, Collection of 13 million volumes, 160,000 journals and other electronic resources.


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
Theatre
Public Outdoor Sculpture
Various Cafe
St. Paul’s Chapel

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.
Steve Wosniak (co-founder of Apple Inc.);
Gordon Moore (co-founder of Intel);
Chris Pine (Actor);
Prithviraj Chavan (17th CM of Maharashtra, India)


Weather
Comparison Notes

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.