UCLA vs UC Berkeley: Cost Comparison
For 2026-2027, a California resident living on campus pays $45,500 per year at UCLA and $54,674 at UC Berkeley. That makes UCLA about $9,174 cheaper per year, or $36,696 over four years, before any financial aid is applied.
UCLA total cost
$45,500
UC Berkeley total cost
$54,674
4-year difference
$36,696
Cost breakdown (2026-2027)
| Cost | UCLA | UC Berkeley | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident tuition & fees | $16,430 | $18,214 | $1,784 |
| Non-resident tuition & fees | $55,700 | $57,484 | $1,784 |
| Housing & food | $19,867 | $23,640 | $3,773 |
| Total cost of attendance | $45,500 | $54,674 | $9,174 |
Totals are each school's own published cost of attendance for a California resident living on campus, covering 2026-27. Schools budget these differently — UC Berkeley includes student health insurance in its total, as UCLA does, so compare line items rather than headline totals alone.
Four-year cost
Most families care about the degree, not the year. At today's published rates, four years at UCLA runs about $182,000 versus $218,696 at UC Berkeley — a gap of $36,696 in UCLA's favor. Both figures understate the real total, because tuition and housing typically rise each year; treat them as a floor, not a forecast.
Beyond cost
Price is one input. These are the differences that tend to matter just as much once the offers are in hand.
Semesters, not quarters
Berkeley runs two semesters while UCLA runs three quarters. That means fewer, longer courses per term, and a different rhythm for internships, transfers, and study abroad.
The most expensive UC in this comparison
Berkeley's published on-campus resident total is $9,174 above UCLA's, driven by $23,640 in housing and meals plus a $5,066 health insurance premium, the highest of any campus here.
The most selective UC here
Berkeley admitted 11.4% of first-year applicants for fall 2025, admitting 14,524 of 126,864 — the lowest rate among the five UC campuses in this comparison.
Financial aid
Berkeley uses the same systemwide Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan as UCLA, so most California families earning up to $100,000 have UC systemwide tuition covered by grants. Because Berkeley's published total runs $9,174 higher, an identical tuition-covering award leaves a noticeably larger bill to close.
How UCLA financial aid worksThe verdict
For a California resident comparing sticker prices, UCLA is the cheaper degree by a wide margin — roughly $36,700 over four years. Almost none of that gap is tuition. Both campuses charge the same UC systemwide rate; the difference is housing, food, and Berkeley's unusually high health insurance line.
That reframes the decision. If you would live off campus, cook for yourself, or waive the insurance with a parent's plan, much of the gap closes, and the two schools converge on price. If you plan to live in the residence halls all four years, the gap is real and worth taking seriously.
On everything else, these are peers, and the honest advice is to choose on fit rather than prestige. Berkeley's semester calendar suits students who prefer depth over breadth in a term; UCLA's quarters suit students who want to sample more fields. Berkeley is the harder admit. Neither of those is a reason to take on $36,700 in extra cost you cannot finance — but neither is cost a reason to turn down a program that is clearly stronger for what you want to study.
Estimate your UCLA cost
Published totals assume an average student. Adjust housing, meal plan, and personal spending to see what UCLA would actually cost you.
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Sources
Cost figures for UC Berkeley come from the following published sources.