UC Berkeley vs UCLA: Costs, Majors, Calendars and Housing

UCLA starts ahead on the published 2026–27 on-campus budget and the length of its first-year housing guarantee. Choose Berkeley when its specific degree path and semester calendar justify the difference after aid. For either campus, confirm access to your intended major before making the financial comparison.

This comparison uses published policies checked November 2, 2026. Costs below are for new students in 2026–27, a useful planning reference for fall 2027 applicants rather than a promise of next year’s prices. Admissions figures use the same fall 2025 entering cycle for both campuses.

The differences that should drive your comparison

Question	UC Berkeley	UCLA
Main undergraduate calendar	Fall and spring semesters	Fall, winter and spring quarters
Published 2026–27 California resident on-campus budget	$54,674 for new students in a residence hall	$45,500 for new students living on campus
Nonresident supplement for that entering cohort	$39,270	$39,270
Housing guarantee for incoming first-year students	Two years for the 2026–27 entering class, with conditions	Four years in university-owned housing, with conditions
Major access example	Changing into Computing, Data Science, and Society involves a review process	First-year applicants receive review for one major; College of Letters and Science major choice does not affect admission prospects

Use the major policy to confirm the degree path, the housing conditions to plan where you will live, and the aid offer to calculate net cost. Record deadlines and eligibility alongside each item.

Semesters and quarters change the rhythm of your year

Berkeley’s registrar publishes a semester calendar. UCLA’s undergraduate calendar uses quarters. For 2026–27, UCLA’s winter instruction runs January 4–March 12, followed by final examinations March 15–19; spring instruction runs March 29–June 4, with finals June 7–11. See the Berkeley academic calendar and UCLA annual calendar.

Place a required introductory sequence on each calendar. Mark registration, exams, breaks, and any internship start date. UCLA’s three quarters bring more frequent course transitions; Berkeley’s two semesters provide longer terms. Choose the rhythm that fits your study plan.

If you are transferring, compare course equivalencies rather than assuming equal numbers of semester and quarter units represent equal credit. Our transfer guide explains the UC unit and preparation requirements.

Major selection matters more than a campus stereotype

At UCLA, a first-year applicant is reviewed for one major even though the UC application contains an alternate-major field. Within the College of Letters and Science, the chosen major does not help or hurt admission chances. Professional schools have different processes: music, arts and architecture, nursing, and theater, film and television require supplemental applications. Engineering does not require that supplemental application, but it is a separate school. UCLA’s major-selection guidance explains those distinctions.

At Berkeley, students admitted to the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society enter declared in computer science, data science or statistics. Students admitted in fall 2024 and later who seek to change into CDSS or change majors within it must use comprehensive review. A minimum overall 2.0 GPA and at least one completed Berkeley semester are among the change-of-college eligibility conditions; meeting minimum conditions is not an admission guarantee. CDSS major policies also specify academic and timing requirements.

An applicant committed to computer science should therefore compare admission to the actual desired program at each university. Enrolling in an unrelated major and assuming a later switch is automatic can produce a very different degree plan.

For other fields, compare required courses, prerequisites, entry restrictions, and an acceptable alternative if your interests change. Check the department’s degree map and course schedule together.

Compare the full 2026–27 budgets

The following figures describe new undergraduates with the on-campus living arrangements above. They include health insurance before any approved waiver.

Budget component	Berkeley	UCLA
Tuition and campus fees	$18,214	$16,430
Campus housing	$16,640	$12,299
Meal plan or food allowance	$7,000 meal plan, plus $2,388 additional food	$7,568 food
Health insurance	$5,066	$3,885
Total California resident cost of attendance	$54,674	$45,500
Total with $39,270 nonresident supplement	$93,944, calculated	$84,770

Berkeley budgets $1,342 for books, $3,270 for personal expenses, and $754 for transport. UCLA budgets $1,588, $2,761, and $969, respectively. Replace these allowances with your expected costs where appropriate. Berkeley budgets and UCLA budgets.

The resident totals differ by $9,174 before aid. Room type, actual travel, insurance eligibility and grants can change the comparison substantially. Do not subtract an insurance premium without also confirming an approved waiver and the cost of replacement coverage.

Also distinguish a university bill from the entire budget. Books, travel and some food costs still need funding even when they are not billed through the student account.

Aid and California residency can reverse a sticker-price comparison

UC says most California families earning up to $100,000 receive grants and scholarships covering UC tuition through its Blue and Gold framework. Budget housing, meals, and other attendance costs separately. Complete the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application and relevant Cal Grant GPA verification by March 2; the university uses those records without a separate Blue and Gold application. Program guidance.

For a new Berkeley nonresident, budget using the $39,270 supplement and confirmed aid. Berkeley says new nonresidents are ineligible for its need-based grants and most scholarships, with no institutional funds to cover nonresident expenses. Eligible students may receive federal aid. Nonresident funding guidance.

Moving to California for college also does not automatically establish resident tuition eligibility. UCLA’s registrar explains that presence solely for education does not qualify and that financial-independence requirements make reclassification difficult for many undergraduates whose parents live elsewhere. UCLA residency classification

For each actual offer, subtract grants and scholarships from the complete cost of attendance. Keep loans and work earnings in a separate funding column. Our financial-aid guide includes an example of that calculation.

Housing guarantees have different lengths

Berkeley offers eligible 2026–27 first-year entrants two years of guaranteed housing, while UCLA offers incoming first-years four years in university-owned housing. Complete the required applications and accept offers by the guarantee deadlines. Compare the available rooms, meal plans, and contract terms. Berkeley guarantee and UCLA housing.

The published housing-and-food allowances total $26,028 at Berkeley, including its additional food allowance, and $19,867 at UCLA—a $6,161 difference within the full budgets. For later years, compare actual campus offers with complete private-lease costs, including utilities and any months outside the academic year.

Compare the same admission cohort

For fall 2025, Berkeley reports 126,843 first-year applicants and 14,502 admits; UCLA reports 145,085 applicants and 13,659 admits. Calculating admits divided by applicants gives approximately 11.4% and 9.4%, respectively. The universities’ profiles round these to 11% and 9%. Berkeley student profile, UCLA fall 2025 profile

Keep the fall 2025 cycle and campus-wide applicant counts beside these rates. For a major-specific plan, examine that school’s entry requirements and selection process separately.

Make the choice with a two-campus worksheet

Use one row per decision: access to the intended major, required curriculum, calendar, four-year housing plan, net cost after grants and a workable alternative if your interests change. Add evidence from the relevant department and your actual aid letter.

For example, a lower net price is meaningful only if the degree path is acceptable. A preferred research subject is meaningful only if you can identify undergraduate courses or opportunities related to it. On a visit, trace an ordinary class-to-housing trip and investigate the services you expect to use.

Choose UCLA when both degree paths fit and its lower net cost and longer housing guarantee remain advantages in your actual offers. Choose Berkeley when the desired program or semester structure is worth its remaining cost difference. Confirm that decision with a four-year course and housing plan.

Sources

• Berkeley academic calendar and UCLA annual calendar.
• UCLA major selection and Berkeley CDSS policies.
• Berkeley budgets and UCLA budgets.
• UC Blue and Gold, Berkeley nonresident aid and UCLA residence rules.
• Berkeley housing guarantee and UCLA housing.
• Berkeley student profile and UCLA fall 2025 profile.