<p>From what I know as well as US&WR Rank:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Berkeley > UCLA -
Haas School of Business*
Computer Science**
Molecular & Cellular Biology
Engineering*
Chemistry**
English**
Public Health
Statistics*
Math*
Physics*
History**
Sociology*
Earth Sciences*
Political Science
Public Affairs
etc.</p></li>
<li><p>UCLA > Berkeley -
Film/Media Studies
Fine Arts
Nursing (Does Berkeley even have one??)
Clinical Psychology**
Library & Information Sciences
Education</p></li>
<li><p>Equal -
Psychology* (UCLA wins for biopsych)</p></li>
</ul>
<p>**#1 in nation
*top 3</p>
<p>Note: Ranks include grad programs</p>
<p>As you can see, Berkeley beats UCLA in basically every academic field, ranking somewhere in the top 10 or top 5 in many disciplines - not to say that UCLA's programs are "bad". They're still quite respected, but Berkeley wins overall.</p>
<p>Of course there are still other "soft" factors to consider: location, dorm food, etc.</p>
<p>In my opinion:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Berkeley -
-Better Transportation (LA traffic is hell whereas cal students have free passes to a much more effective public transport system)
-Cool SF weather; may be too cold for some
-Homeless people on the streets when you go out to eat as well as in Sproul Plaza (mostly harmless but can be off-putting to see for some)
-Awesome off-campus dining (C.R.E.A.M., Cheeseboard pizza, boba)
-Generally more driven students, but not cutthroat (stay aware of the learning curve)
-Generally more liberal & politically charged (though conservative student orgs are also quite active)
-Yes, there are attractive people here
-Lots of white marble and beautiful green as well as flowering trees; buildings not as architecturally cohesive as UCLA and some older ones run-down on the outside
-More hilly than UCLA overall with opportunities for nature hikes nearby
-Greek life present but not predominant; for ppl in frats/sororities greek life tends to be one of a variety of involvements
-Silicon valley & SF nearby
-Weed culture present but not expected or pushed onto others
-Social life tends to revolve around students' activities, going out into Berkeley/SF, and house parties
-good at "non-franchise" sports; from what I know crew and swimming are huge. cal also has the #1 quidditch team in the nation LOL</p></li>
<li><p>UCLA -
-Better Campus Safety (surrounded by very wealthy neighborhoods - the "3 Bs" v. Berkeley's homeless population & higher crime rate)
-Better On-Campus Food (based on reputation - though after trying UCB food it's nowhere near as bad as it's made out to be)
-Better Dorms (once again based on reputation)
-Very cohesive, beautiful Tuscan architecture
-LA weather; summer year-round but can be too scorching for some
-Better football team/more NCAA titles/highly-regarded basketball team
-More active party scene on-campus
-Bigger & more stereotypical greek life
-Higher Latino population than UCB
-Likelihood of coming into contact with celebs; Hollywood culture; tendency to be more appearance-driven/vain as a result
-Quarter system v. Berkeley's semester system
-More expensive off-campus dining but quite good
-Proximity to the beach</p></li>
<li><p>Equal -
-LOTS OF WALKING
-intelligent, well-rounded students
-School pride (some may beg to differ)</p></li>
</ul>
<p>NOTE: about the asian population - there are definitely not as many as reputed at either school.</p>
<p>All in all both UCB and UCLA are great schools, and I would say the deciding factor comes down to one's priorities based on the aspects listed above. That being said, Berkeley's innovative atmosphere won me over, and I am excited to say that I'll be attending Cal in the fall. GO BEARS!</p>
<p>Disclaimer: I'd like to end with the popular caveat that college is what you do, not where you go, etc. etc. There's obviously more research I could've done but this is based on my own knowledge from visiting both schools, and I think I've been quite thorough already. No offense meant to UCLA students or alumni whatsoever; as I said I think both UCB and LA are great schools and anyone would be lucky to go to either.</p>