University of California-Berkeley CAL vs University of Southern California USC

Side-by-side comparison of University of California-Berkeley CAL, University of Southern California USC

Metrics	University of California-Berkeley CAL Berkeley, CA	University of Southern California USC Los Angeles, CA	Add from backpackUp to 1 more
Location	Berkeley, CA	Los Angeles, CA
Control	Public	Private nonprofit
Carnegie	A Doctoral University (which undergraduates attend) with very high research activity	A Doctoral University (which undergraduates attend) with very high research activity
Tuition (out-of-state)	$54,800	$75,162
Avg. net price	$14,538	$33,056
Acceptance rate	11%	10%
Enrollment	33,068	20,443
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Graduation rate	94%	90%
Retention rate	97%	96%
Median earnings	$100,212	$103,420
SAT range	N/A	ERW 710-760 · Math 740-790
ACT range	N/A	32-35
Themes	AffordableBig sportsA State's Flagship Public University or SimilarHighly selectiveHistorically Leans Liberal (relative to other American colleges)Has a POSSE ChapterPublic flagshipResearch university	AffordableStrong Athletic ProgramBig sportsHighly selectiveHas a "Pre-Professional" FeelPublic flagshipIs a QuestBridge CampusResearch university
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Bars are drawn from the figures in each cell. Rates use a 0–100% scale; tuition, net price, enrollment and earnings are relative to the largest value among the colleges shown (darker bar); SAT and ACT bands sit on each test's full scale (200–800 per SAT section, 1–36 for the ACT).