East Coast Colleges on the level of UC Berkeley

College Search & Lists
87

<p>

</p>

<p>For various reasons, Columbia (like the other Ivies) is able to draw applicants across a wider geographic span that Berkeley can. Columbia claims to cover 100% of demonstrated financial need for all students, including students from distant states. Berkeley only covers about 81% of demonstrated need on average. That rate probably is much less for OOS students. Columbia also attracts applicants from very wealthy families that have sent their kids to Ivy League colleges for generations (so it enjoys strong brand loyalty that, again, crosses state lines). </p>

<p>Not only do most Berkeley undergrads come from California, a high percentage come from just a few counties surrounding the San Francisco metro area. Many Californians apply to Columbia and the other Ivies. Relatively few top HS students in New England or the Mid-Atlantic would seriously consider Berkeley for undergraduate studies. If they want a high-quality state school as a “match” on their application list, they more likely would pick Michigan or UVa (if only because they are closer).
<a href=“http://chronicle.com/article/Interactive-Freshman-Class/129547/#id=190150”>http://chronicle.com/article/Interactive-Freshman-Class/129547/#id=190150&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://chronicle.com/article/Interactive-Freshman-Class/129547/#id=110635”>http://chronicle.com/article/Interactive-Freshman-Class/129547/#id=110635&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Columbia is a richer school with a bigger endowment for far fewer students than the entire University of California system. Columbia offers smaller average class sizes. < 5% of Columbia classes have 50 or more students, compared to 14.5% at Berkeley. There are no “impacted” majors at Columbia. Every undergraduate is a first-class citizen of the whole college, which pretty clearly is the best college in the heart of America’s premier city for finance and the arts. Columbia students not only have easier access to Wall Street firms, but compared to any state schools they probably also have better “feeder” rates to top medical, law, business, and PhD programs (though that may be in part because they were stronger - and more affluent - students to start with). </p>

<p>Columbia also enjoys a certain historic cachet. It’s the country’s 5th oldest institution of higher learning. It educated 5 of the country’s Founding Fathers. It has a long, long list of notable alumni (both historic and contemporary, including the current President of the United States.)</p>

<p>Will any of that really add up to a better education than you could get at one of a half dozen California state universities? Hard to say. </p>