My daughter is deciding between UCB and UCLA for Econ major. I would love to hear the pros and cons of each school and your experience. Thank you
This analysis will allow you to compare these schools by faculty scholarship in economics: Economics rankings: US Economics Departments | IDEAS/RePEc.
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As a Cal grad and the parent of a UCLA grad, UCLA’s housing situation is a lot better than Cal’s. I don’t know if that’s an important factor for you - it was for us. I loved my time at Cal, but if I was a student again I know I’d love UCLA too. The largest classes at UCLA will be smaller than Berkeley because the largest lecture hall is about 350-400 vs 800-1000. Whether that makes much difference when you’re over a few hundred students already, I don’t know. When you step on the Berkeley campus, you know there is something special about it with Sproul Plaza, the Campanile, and bay views. But I also get the same sense at UCLA with the beautiful Royce Hall area and walking by the John Wooden statue in front of Pauley Pavilion. I’ll let others debate the merits of the Econ program at each school, but her decision is a good problem to have. If she feels more comfortable at one than the other, that’s probably the one to choose.
Reading what I wrote, it probably sounds like I’m favoring UCLA, but really it’s just my more recent experience and I’m not as current with Cal.
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She’ll want to compare the required classes needed to complete the Econ major at both schools, as well as the options such as Business Econ instead of straight Econ at UCLA.
At Cal you need a 3.0 overal in the five pre-reqs to get into the major, including 2 semesters of calculus, according to Applying to the Economics Major | Department of Economics
At UCLA you need a 2.5 overall in the 7 pre-reqs, including 2 quarters of calculus according to https://economics.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/8-Econ-Major-Requirements-Worksheet-2021-2022.pdf
As popular majors the classes will never be small. The lower-division classes will have hundreds of students (although you meet in a “discussion” section with a TA once a week that’s typically around 30 students, at least at UCLA). Upper-division most classes at UCLA are going to be 50-70 students, I expect similar at Cal. At UCLA you can look at the Schedule of Classes at Schedule of Classes | UCLA Registrar’s Office
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Pre professional emphasis or pre PhD emphasis?
If pre PhD, UCLA offers a math economics major that may be more suitable than the regular economics major there, while UCB offers more math intensive intermediate economics course options and math intensive economics electives.
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I have a son who is a first year at UCLA doing the prerequisites now to perhaps major in Econ (or maybe Business Econ? He seems to have many friends in that major). Seems to be having a good experience thus far. Classes are pretty much as described above — lecture with smaller sections for discussion. I have neighbors who teach Economics at Cal and they are wonderful. I would say that the reputation of Cal Econ is probably a little stronger but I don’t know that they are that far apart. The one thing I know that Cal has that doesn’t seem to be a focus at UCLA is a program on Political Economics. If your daughter is interested in that, Cal may win out. However lots of kids at UCLA major in Economics with a minor in Political Science. Not the same exactly, but it’s an option. Edited to add: I cannot stress how much I agree with the comment above about the difference in housing. The fact that UCLA guarantees 4 years and the housing/dining is so straightforward and easy there is HUGE. The campus is wonderful.
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