How should I compare admissions selectivity between UIUC and UC Berkeley?

The biggest practical difference is that UC Berkeley is more selective at the campus level, while UIUC’s difficulty changes more sharply by the major or college to which you apply. Berkeley draws an exceptionally strong overall applicant pool and uses the UC comprehensive-review process, so admission is demanding across the institution. At UIUC, direct admission by program means that a highly sought-after field can be far harder to enter than another UIUC major.

Do not compare only the schools’ headline admission rates. At UIUC, first identify the exact major and academic unit, because applying to a high-demand program, especially in computing or engineering, places an applicant in a much more competitive review group than applying to many other majors. Changing majors later is not a reliable workaround, since internal transfer into constrained programs can also be difficult.

At Berkeley, intended college or school matters, particularly for programs with separate admission structures, but applicants should not assume every intended major produces the same admissions distinction seen at UIUC. Berkeley’s review also reflects UC-specific context, including an applicant’s coursework, school environment, and California residency status. Residency can affect how the applicant pool is framed at both public universities, so compare yourself with the relevant in-state or nonresident pool rather than treating all applicants as interchangeable.