Is UC Berkeley or Arizona State more prestigious for computer science?

For computer science, UC Berkeley carries a substantially stronger national and international reputation than Arizona State, especially with highly selective tech employers, research labs, and computer science graduate programs. Berkeley’s EECS program is widely recognized for rigorous coursework, influential faculty research, and a large alumni presence in Silicon Valley and major technology companies. Its name can create more immediate recognition on a resume, although it does not replace strong projects, internships, and interview performance.

Berkeley fits a student who wants an academically intense environment, access to a dense Bay Area tech network, and peers who are often deeply involved in research, startups, competitive programming, or advanced technical work. For graduate school, Berkeley can offer particularly strong access to research opportunities and recommendation writers whose work is well known in the field.

Arizona State is still a legitimate route to excellent CS outcomes, particularly for a student who will take initiative. ASU has a large engineering and computing ecosystem, connections to the growing Phoenix-area technology sector, and enough scale to provide meaningful coursework, student organizations, internships, and research opportunities. A motivated ASU student with strong technical projects, relevant internships, solid grades, and good recommendations can absolutely reach competitive software engineering roles or CS graduate programs.

The practical difference is that Berkeley offers more built-in prestige and a more concentrated pipeline to elite CS opportunities. At ASU, students may need to be more intentional about seeking out advanced coursework, faculty relationships, and internships to create the same level of signal.