I’ve gotten into both UCLA and Berkeley and I’m having a hard time deciding which one to go too.
I’m a civil engineering major and a female and live about an hour from UCLA and about 7 hour drive from Berkeley. I like UCLA’s area but I’ve never been to the Berkeley campus (I will be going next week). Both schools would also cost me about the same. I know Berkeley is ranked slightly higher academically and is one of the top engineering schools in the country. But I’m used to SoCal (weather, people, environment, etc). And I have a lot of friends at UCLA. At the same time Berkeley would be a new adventure for me.
Any thoughts or input or personal experiences with either of the schools?
Berkeley is one of those campuses you either love or hate. After you visit, your decision may be easy.
Academically, it’s probably a wash.
A glimpe of UC Berkeley Civil & Environmental Engineering – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_5yiip13kU
Cal Day CEE Department - UC Berkeley – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9wAZOcCuzQ
Berkeley is better and significantly harder to get into in my opinion. Both are amazing tho and you can’t go wrong.
Berkeley civil engineering program is a stand out. I agree with Simba, visit and then decide.
“Academically, it’s probably a wash.”
Not in engineering. Cal is tops.
Berkeley is arguably a top 3 for engineering and Berkeley’s Civil engineering program is arguably number in the whole nation. I think that in terms of academics, Berkeley is in a notch above UCLA’s.
At the UNDERGRADUATE level, the engineering at UCLA is just as good as Berkeley.
Do you think they teach undergraduate civil engineering at UCLA any differently than Berkeley?
The differences between UNDERGRADUATE engineering at UCLA and Berkeley are insignificant, and the OP should go to the university which she sees she can thrive at the most.
^ Wrong. The difference is in on-campus recruiting.
One suggestion is to look at career placements from Berkeley’s and UCLA’s career center for civil engineering graduates.
I find it very hard to believe opportunities for UCLA Civil Engineering graduates are lacking.
I’ve worked with lots of various types of engineers over my career, and it’s virtually impossible to distinguish them on the basis of where they went to school.
^^^^Top engineering programs have better on-campus recruiting.
Engineering is considered to be one of the most egalitarian fields. UCLA and Berkeley are both very well regarded in California. And most non-local employers that recruit at Berkeley also recruit at UCLA. Berkeley does have the advantage of being close to Silicon Valley though.
I don’t know if Berkeley’s location near Silicon Valley means much for Civil Engineering.
Visit Berkeley. I thought the campus and city were terrific, and I have always loved SF. If you’re a diehard Southern Californian, though, you’ll probably choose to stay in LA. If you don’t have your own car, you’ll be able to get around the Bay Area more easily via public transportation.