Karia Kiritbhai Study Abroad Course Expert
Study Abroad Course Expert | Updated On - Sep 19, 2025
The University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, is a prestigious private research university with roughly 49,000 students enrolled. Admission is selective and competitive, with an acceptance rate of about 10%. The strongest programs at USC include Film, Business (Marshall), Engineering (Viterbi), Law, and Computer Science. The graduation rate is extremely high, from 91% to 93%, and early career graduates report salaries of approximately INR 68 to INR 74 lakhs per annum (USD $82,000-$89,000).
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), located in Berkeley, California, is one of the highest public research universities in the world, with an enrollment of about 45,000 students. Admission to UC Berkeley is also selective, with an acceptance rate of about 12%. Flagship programs include Computer Science, Engineering, Economics, Law, and Environmental Science. The graduation rate is slightly higher than USC, from 93% to 95%. Early career wages for graduates generally range from INR 70 to INR 76 lakh per annum (USD $84,000–$91,000).
| University of Southern California | University of California | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 5.9 Out of 10 | 8.4 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 146 QS World University 2026 # 54 Center for World University Rankings 2025 # 72 Times Higher Education 2025 | # 17 QS World University 2026 # 8 Times Higher Education 2025 # 12 Center for World University Rankings 2025 |
| Subject Strength | # 20 for Engineering by US News 2025 # 99 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 # 26 for Law by US News 2025 | # 3 for Engineering by US News 2025 # 4 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2025 # 29 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 |
| Programs | UG Programs -142 PG Programs -124 Doctorate Programs -7 | UG Programs -31 PG Programs -43 Doctorate Programs -11 |
| Acceptance Rate | 12.0 % | 11.7 % |
| Exam Score | GMAT-690 GRE-306 IELTS-6.5 PTE-68 SAT-1360 TOEFL-100 | GMAT-700 GRE-310 IELTS-7 SAT-1450 TOEFL-90 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 63468 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 25795 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 39862 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 47346 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 27864 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 56000 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Graduate Employability Ranking 2023: 59 QS World University Ranking :#134 Average salaries are given below:
| Some programs and the average salary are:
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| application requirements | 3 to 4 years of work experience for some graduate programs; at least 2 letters of recommendation; 2 to 3-page statement of purpose | LORs (usually three); |
| Campuses and B-Schools | Marshall Business School | Haas School of Business |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 7.8/10 Read 37 reviews | 6.9/10 Read 11 reviews |
Top Courses Comparison
| ranking | # 49 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 # 72 for Business by QS World University 2025 | # 8 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 # 11 for Business by QS World University 2025 # 11 for Business by US News 2025 |
| exam scores | GMAT - 630/800GRE - 317/340IELTS - 6.5/9PTE - 68/90TOEFL - 90/120 | Duolingo - 125/160IELTS - 7/9TOEFL - 90/120 |
| cost to study | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -117152 | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -11442 |
| application dates | Sep 1, 2025 (Application Deadline For Spring 2026 Intake) Dec 15, 2025 (Application Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) | Nov 4, 2024 (Application Deadline For 2025 Intake Round 1) Jan 7, 2025 (Round 1 Application Decision Deadline For 2025 Intake) Jan 8, 2025 (Round 2 Application Deadline For 2025 Intake) Mar 5, 2025 (Round 3 Application Deadline For 2025 Intake) Mar 7, 2025 (Round 2 Application Decision Deadline For 2025 Intake) May 2, 2025 (Round 3 Application Decision Deadline For 2025 Intake) |
Other Popular Comparisons
| General Facts | University of Southern California | University of California |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1880 | 1868 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 13:1 | 17.8:1 |
| Male:Female | 48% Male, 52% Female | 0% Male, 0% Female |
| Location Facts | Has two campuses located in Los Angeles: University Park having Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and many professional schools; Health Science campus having Keck School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy and three teaching hospitals. | Overlooking the San Francisco Bay, UC Berkeley campus is spread over approximately 1,232 acres of land. It is the oldest of the ten campuses of University of California. |
| Library | Over 22 campus libraries having – Total Volume: 5,919,656; Title Held: 5,007,597; Serials: 77,299; Physical Media: 172,964, Electronic Media: 122,269; Electronic Books: 1,682,067; Electronic Journals: 172,964; | UCB Library is the fourth largest library in USA comprising 24 libraries, 325 employees and 832 student employees. UCB Library has 13 million volumes in 300+ languages which includes printed books, journals, e-books, etc. |
| Campus Life | Cultural Communities: Asian Pacific American Student Services, LGBT Resource Center, International Services, etc; Graduate, Undergraduate and Residential Student Governance; Volunteer Center; Trojan Marching Band; Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention Services | UCB consists of the Sather Tower, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Hall of Science, Space Sciences Laboratory, UC Botanical Garden, UC Museum of Paleontology, UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA). |
| Hostel | #Rooms - $12271 #Room and Board - $19931 | #Room & Board - $16000 #Room & Board--Apartment - $18000 #Room & Board--Residence Hall - $22000 |
| Famous Alumni | Neil Armstrong (astronaut); George Lucas (creator of Star Wars); Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (former Prime Minister of Pakistan); John Wayne (Academy Award winner); Andrew Viterbi (co-founder of Qualcomm Inc.); Will Ferrell (actor) | With a total of 520,566 alumni, UCB has 31 Nobel Laureates, 207 Turing Award, 20 Academic Awards, 20 Pulitzer Prize winners. |
| City Life | Los Angeles (LA) is the second most populous city of USA; Hollywood is located here; 841 Museums and art gallaries, 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 2022 was 4%; Industries employing maximum number of people are healthcare, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing | Berkeley is in close proximity to San Francisco which is only a 20 minutes ride with public transport. You can hike up to Beverly Hills, explore the oldest museums, Victorian architecture, and more. Flying to Vegas and Los Angeles is also easy or drive to lake Tahoe, Berkeley’s location is within close distance to most locations. There are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, parks, etc. The unemployment rate for Nov 2022 was 3.3%. |
| Weather |
University of Southern California vs UC Berkeley
Subject Strength & Global Rankings (2025/2026)
UC Berkeley consistently ranks among the top 10-15 in the world and is well-known nationally and internationally for its programs in Engineering, Computer Science, Economics, Law, and Natural Sciences. While USC has a ranking of around 50-70 globally, it does very well in its own right with programs in Film & Media, Business, Engineering, and Social Sciences. Berkeley holds a greater overall prestige in the global academic world, while USC excels in the areas of creative industries and other professional programs.
General Information
Founded in 1880, USC is a premier school located in Los Angeles with roughly 49,000 enrolled students, recognized for its entrepreneurial environment, arts presence, and connection to the entertainment and tech industries. Established in 1868, UC Berkeley is the flagship of the University of California system and has approximately 45,000 enrolled students. The university is recognized across the world for its academic and educational rigor, its activism, and its significant history of research across academic circles and disciplines. USC delivers a networking-filled, private school experience while UC Berkeley offers the historical and public flagship experience.
Acceptance Rate & Admissions
USC has an acceptance rate of about 10%, extremely selective and competitive, especially in the areas of Film, Business, and Engineering. UC Berkeley has an acceptance rate of about 12%, and similar to USC, is very selective, especially competitive with Computer Science, Engineering, and Business (Haas). Both schools pull from a large pool of global applicants and are ranked at the top of their programs in the world, with USP being more prestige in research, while UCS has a strong appeal from future pathways.
Research Impact & Facilities
UC Berkeley is one of the leading research universities in the world, with cutting-edge research through time in physics, computer science, economics, and the biosciences. Berkeley produces research at a very high volume. USC is also an R1 research university, with special focus on interdisciplinary research in the areas of health sciences, engineering, and creative technologies that are applied. UC Berkeley leads as the institution devoted to a more pure scholarly approach to research, while USC leads in applied innovative research and collaborative industry partnerships.
Cost & Financial Aid
International tuition is about $66,000 a year at USC, being a private school, versus around $47,000 for UC Berkeley (out-of-state). The cost of living is high in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, but San Francisco Bay is generally higher than Los Angeles. Both universities provide scholarships but limited aid is offered to non-resident students at UC Berkeley, while USC provides more merit-based funding.
Career Destinations & Graduates' Success
USC Graduates often go on to work in the fields of entertainment, media, business, tech, and healthcare because of USC's location in LA and the comprehensive alumni network USC offers. Graduates from UC Berkeley find immediate success around the world in tech, finance, academia, law, and public policy because of the proximity to Silicon Valley, for example, which opens market opportunities in tech and startups. USC is more connected to the creative and professional economy, while UC Berkeley specializes in elite academic status and scholarly based research career opportunities.
