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<p>As far as the research coming out of the schools, Berkeley is known more in a majority of technical fields, including mathematics and engineering overall. Berkeley’s graduate programs and faculty are on average quite consistently at the very top of the list. </p>
<p>Cornell’s undergraduate population is on average stronger because of the Ivy status attraction among U.S. undergrads, although the stronger majors at Berkeley would remind one of the stronger students at most elite schools. Both are competitive schools once you get in. Berkeley has budget issues in several departments, but this does not seem to affect, for instance, engineers and mathematicians; perhaps several others are unaffected.</p>
<p>It really depends how much international fame means to you. I think both are internationally known enough that you should go to the school that makes you feel best about the environment, and no I’m not one of those people who routinely chants that. If you really like certain fields that Berkeley is strong at, it is worth giving up your first choice of environment for what nevertheless is a school with very friendly students, beautiful CA weather, and internationally acclaimed departments.</p>
<p>For a large group of students, the fact that Cornell is an Ivy plus the fact it attracts certain strong undergraduates just due to that status would move them in that direction. And many would make the argument that it doesn’t matter what the faculty are like exactly, because you’re not a grad student. But they’re wrong in general!! Depending on if you want to pursue graduate studies in the future, having access to a broadly strong department can be inspiring and do wonders. It depends on the individual.</p>