University of California, Berkeley vs University of California, Los Angeles: Admission, Deadlines, Fees Compared

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Berkeley and UCLA are both University of California campuses that use the same shared UC application and UC filing period, and both publish an admission rate, 10.50 percent at Berkeley and 10.80 percent at UCLA, nearly identical. Berkeley states that test scores are optional and that English proficiency is required from every applicant whose first language is not English, setting a TOEFL floor of 90 against UCLA's 80, the clearest difference between the two. UCLA runs a holistic review of every first year file and does not consider SAT or ACT scores at all in its admission decision. Tuition sits close, USD 57,484 a year at Berkeley against USD 55,700 at UCLA, and both ask for IELTS 6.5. Given how near the acceptance rates and IELTS floors sit, the practical difference for many applicants comes down to Berkeley's higher TOEFL requirement and the specific major applied to, rather than a wide cost or selectivity gap between the two campuses. Check each campus's own page for the requirements of the specific major in mind, since UC admission decisions are made by campus and programme.