Is UC Berkeley or Princeton more selective overall?

Princeton is more selective overall. In a simple head-to-head comparison, Princeton admits a smaller share of applicants and has one of the most restrictive undergraduate admissions processes in the country. UC Berkeley is also highly selective, but as a large public university it enrolls a much bigger freshman class and evaluates a far broader applicant pool.

One major difference is scale. Berkeley has to build a class for a very large undergraduate population, while Princeton is a much smaller private university with a limited number of seats. Even though both attract very strong students, Princeton’s smaller size makes entry tighter across the board.

The applicant pool works differently too. Berkeley receives enormous volume from California, out-of-state, and international applicants, and selectivity can vary meaningfully by college or major. Princeton’s overall admissions process is more uniformly difficult at the university level, so when people talk about school-wide selectivity, Princeton is the tougher admit.

Another useful way to think about it is institutional mission. Berkeley, as a top public flagship, is balancing excellence with broader access, especially within California. Princeton, as a private Ivy, is shaping a much smaller class through an intensely filtered process. So if your question is strictly which school is more selective overall, Princeton is the clearer answer.