Is UCLA or UC Berkeley harder to get into?
I've been narrowing down my college list and I’m really stuck between UCLA and UC Berkeley. When I look at their acceptance rates, they're both pretty competitive, but I keep hearing different things about which one is actually more difficult to get into.
If anyone has recent stats or even personal experiences about how admissions at these two schools compare, that would help a lot. Also, does it depend on the major you apply for? I'm planning on applying as a bio major if that changes anything.
If anyone has recent stats or even personal experiences about how admissions at these two schools compare, that would help a lot. Also, does it depend on the major you apply for? I'm planning on applying as a bio major if that changes anything.
2 weeks ago
•
38 views
Kathy Jayanth
• 2 weeks ago
Advisor
Both UCLA and UC Berkeley are extremely selective, but in recent years, UCLA has had a slightly lower acceptance rate. For example, for the Fall 2023 cycle, UCLA’s acceptance rate was about 8.8%, while UC Berkeley’s was roughly 11.6%. These stats can fluctuate a bit year to year but consistently, UCLA tends to be a bit more competitive from a purely numbers standpoint.
That said, acceptance rate is just one piece of the puzzle. The difficulty of getting in can also depend a lot on the major you choose. For biology (and other life science majors), both schools are popular and impacted, which means they get a huge number of qualified applicants. This makes admission even more selective for those programs compared to some less popular majors. For example, as a bio applicant, you may find the admit rates even lower than the campus-wide averages.
From a personal perspective, students often find that hyper-competitive applicants apply to both these schools, but sometimes feel that UCLA is harder to get into because of its slightly lower overall admit rate and its popularity (it gets the most applications of any university in the country). Still, both universities are holistic in their admissions process, looking at essays, leadership, academic rigor, and more, not just grades and test scores.
An example: I had a friend who applied to both schools as a biology major. She was admitted to Berkeley but waitlisted at UCLA—despite a very strong application. This variance happens a lot and shows how unpredictable admissions can be, especially for impacted majors.
In summary: right now, UCLA is statistically a bit harder to get into overall, and biology is a highly selective major at both campuses. Your essays, course rigor, and personal story will all be crucial in standing out for either school.
That said, acceptance rate is just one piece of the puzzle. The difficulty of getting in can also depend a lot on the major you choose. For biology (and other life science majors), both schools are popular and impacted, which means they get a huge number of qualified applicants. This makes admission even more selective for those programs compared to some less popular majors. For example, as a bio applicant, you may find the admit rates even lower than the campus-wide averages.
From a personal perspective, students often find that hyper-competitive applicants apply to both these schools, but sometimes feel that UCLA is harder to get into because of its slightly lower overall admit rate and its popularity (it gets the most applications of any university in the country). Still, both universities are holistic in their admissions process, looking at essays, leadership, academic rigor, and more, not just grades and test scores.
An example: I had a friend who applied to both schools as a biology major. She was admitted to Berkeley but waitlisted at UCLA—despite a very strong application. This variance happens a lot and shows how unpredictable admissions can be, especially for impacted majors.
In summary: right now, UCLA is statistically a bit harder to get into overall, and biology is a highly selective major at both campuses. Your essays, course rigor, and personal story will all be crucial in standing out for either school.
Kathy Jayanth
Berkeley, CA
UC Berkeley | Economics & Slavic Studies
Experience
5 years