Content Curator
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public research university located in urban setting of Los Angeles while Stanford University is a private, not for profit institution located in the suburban region of Stanford, California. Though both the universities rank among the top 50 universities in the world, here is a complete qualitative and quantitative analysis between the two.
| University of California | Stanford University | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 7.8 Out of 10 | 9.3 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 42 QS World University 2025 # 15 US News 2024 # 18 Times Higher Education 2024 | # 6 QS World University 2025 # 2 Times Higher Education 2024 # 2 QS World University 2024 |
| Subject Strength | # 16 for Engineering by US News 2024 # 14 for Medicine by QS World University 2024 # 14 for Law by US News 2024 | # 2 for Engineering by US News 2024 # 4 for Medicine by QS World University 2024 # 1 for Law by US News 2024 |
| Programs | UG Programs -24 PG Programs -43 Doctorate Programs -7 | UG Programs -49 PG Programs -38 Doctorate Programs -70 |
| Acceptance Rate | 11.0 % | 3.9 % |
| Exam Score | GMAT-670 IELTS-7 SAT-1330 TOEFL-87 | GMAT-630 IELTS-7 SAT-1450 TOEFL-100 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 42993 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 26544 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 36045 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 65286 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 72420 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 33155 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Graduate Employability rank: QS-#3 University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is one of the top public universities in Los Angeles, United States. It is ranked #44 in QS World University Rankings 2023.
|
Stanford University is one of the top private universities in Stanford, United States. It is ranked #3 in QS World University Rankings 2023. Ranked #2 in Graduate Employability Rank
|
| application requirements | 94% in 12th for UG and 83% in bachelors for graduate admission; Name and email of references; Statement of Purpose | Supplemental Form (for a few programs); |
| Campuses and B-Schools | Anderson School of Management | Stanford Graduate School of Business |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 8.0/10 Read 11 reviews | 8.4/10 Read 4 reviews |
Other Popular Comparisons
| General Facts | University of California | Stanford University |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1919 | 1885 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 18:1 | 5:1 |
| Male:Female | 47% Male, 53% Female | 50% Male, 50% Female |
| Location Facts | Five mile from Pacific Ocean, Located in West-wood neighborhood of LA | The campus is located in the center of the San Francisco Peninsula. Settled on 8,180 acres of land, the campus is located approx. 37 miles southeast of San Francisco and approx. 20 miles northwest of San Jose. |
| Library | 12 million print and electronic volumes | With a network of 20 libraries, the Stanford University Library has a collection of 9.3 million volumes, nearly 300,000 rare or special books, 1.5 million e-books, 2.5 million audiovisual materials, 77,000 serials, nearly 6 million microform holdings, and thousands of other digital resources. |
| Campus Life | Over 100 Student organizations | Campus landmarks include the Main Quad, Memorial Church, Cantor Center for Visual Arts, Bing Concert Hall, Stanford Mausoleum, Hoover Tower, Stanford University Arboretum, Green Library, 31 Club Sports, etc. There are over 625 student-organized groups to participate in, eight dining halls to experience the food on-campus, 2 museums, and 25 student affairs offices. |
| Hostel | #Room & Board - $17436 #Room and Board - $18609 | #Campus Housing(Graduate) - $23535 |
| Famous Alumni | 14 Nobel laureates, 15 Mac Authors | Presently, there are more than 220,000 Stanford alumni that include 83 Nobel laureates, 28 Turing Award laureates, 8 Fields Medalists, 270 Olympic medals including 139 gold medals. Larry Page (Co-founder Google); Mike Krieger (Co-founder, Instagram); Peter Thiel (Co-founder, Paypal); Gene D. Block (8th chancellor of UCLA); Derek Bok (25th president of Harvard), etc. |
| City Life | Los Angeles (LA) is the second most populous city of USA; Hollywood is located here; 841 Museums and art galleries, California Beaches, Disneyland park, Los Angeles offers various concert halls, regular festivals, and bustling nightlife; Ranked 7th on Global City Index and 9th on Global Economic Power Index; Unemployment rate in December 2019 was 4%; Industries employing maximum number of people are healthcare, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing | Located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, Stanford is a census-designated place in California. You can explore various museums, the national zoo, enjoy delicacies of all kinds available at multicuisine restaurants, enjoy basketball games, national baseball games, Jazz music, waterfront near Georgetown, and more. The unemployment rate of the city is 5.1% |
| Weather |
UCLA is quite a large institution with an enrollment of around 45,000 students among which 7000+ are from foreign countries. Stanford University on the other hand is a much smaller institution with a student population of around 17,000 students out of which 4,234 are international students. If not better than Stanford, UCLA is just as excellent as other top universities in the USA.
- According to Financial Times Global MBA Rankings 2020, Stanford University (#2) ranks much higher than UCLA Anderson School of Management (#25).
- According to Forbes, UCLA ranks #4 for America’s Best Value Colleges 2019, while Stanford University at #6.
- The cost of study at Stanford University is higher than the University of California, Los Angeles but the average amount of financial aid provided by Stanford is $47,106 which is way more than what is offered by UCLA that is $18,913.
- Admissions at UCLA are comparatively easier than Sanford with an acceptance rate of 16% and 5% respectively.
- Both the universities have different levels of score requirements for instance GMAT score requirements are higher at UCLA while the English language requirements are higher at Stanford University.
- According to QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020, Stanford University ranks at #2 while UCLA ranks at #3.
- Reports by Emolument suggests:
- Stanford MBA graduates have a higher salary package.
- Executive Masters graduates at UCLA are the highest-earning graduates from the university. They also have a higher salary package than Stanford.
- Doctorate graduates at Stanford earn more than UCLA graduates.
- According to reports by Payscale, the 20 years net ROI at Stanford University (811,000 USD) is higher than UCLA (556,000 USD).
Comparisons are subjective and depend mainly upon students preferences. If one is willing to Study in USA at the undergraduate level it is suggested to not compare the universities rather the programs. Based on academic excellence and rankings, Stanford University has wider recognition. However, the fact that UCLA has a lower cost of study and is among the best value colleges in the USA also makes it an excellent choice among students.
