UCLA vs UC Berkeley for Chemistry major

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Hello! This is my first time posting on here. I’m currently stuck (although I already committed to UCLA, I know I can withdraw and whatnot).

I’m in a good financial spot for both UCLA and UC Berkeley but what has me reconsidering my commitment is the financial aid.

UCLA comes out to be $2251 (classic triple dorm) and after work-study, -$749 (so I’ll have $749 extra). While UCB comes out to be -$6717 and after work-study, -$11,217!

The difference is huge and I have no clue what I would do with $11k extra but I feel silly for passing it up. However, I genuinely cannot see myself at Berkeley. I know Berkeley is #1 globally for chemistry, which is AMAZING but I hate the location. I think it’s unsafe and gloomy. I don’t know if there’s much to do around there but I can’t help but feel like I’d be depressed over there (seasonal depression hits me HARD) also the environment seems so cutthroat, from what I’ve heard.

I know it’s great for my major and I’m very grateful to even be in this position. But UCLA has been my dream school since I was 8, I haven’t seen the campus in person yet (but I’m going this Saturday 4/5/25) and I have seen Berkeley in person- I liked it but I didn’t like the area outside the campus, it seemed kinda unsafe. I guess I want advice if the school I go to matters for chemistry. I’m planning on going to medical school (this might change though but I’m leaning toward it) and I know my happiness is what matters most but 11k is a lot of money to pass up.

Also does anyone know if the 11k would go straight to me? I could also get a single or double with that money, studying abroad would be easier, and idk what else. But I found out about a program at UCLA for a free laptop (they give you a grant to cover the cost) and I just got a $1500 scholarship so I could buy books or an iPad or whatever else with that money. Long run, I think I’ll be fine, but I just want some advice if ranking and money matters over my happiness/dream school? Thanks!

Net price per year at each college, after applying scholarships and financial aid grants.

Maximum parent contribution per year.

Major/division admitted to at each college, if applicable to the college. Also, any special programs like honors programs or combined degree programs (e.g. BA/BS->MD).

If you applied to regular fall term start, specify if you were admitted to start at a different campus, in study abroad, in an online/distance or extension program, or other than in the fall term.

Desired major and post graduation goals (including if pre-med, pre-law, etc.).

If not a frosh admit finishing high school, indicate status (e.g. sophomore level transfer, junior level transfer, frosh after gap year(s)).

International or domestic student (and state of residency if domestic).

Student preferences beyond the above (including weather, class sizes, campus culture, college demographics, fraternities/sororities, distance from home, etc.).

Preliminary assessment of each college based on the above.

Why did you apply to each college you are considering?

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Okay see and I accidentally left the format/example questions on the post LOL. I forgot to remove that my badd

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Can you say more about the “source” of the -11K because for the most part, with federal and state funds, the student does not keep the extra money. If the money is not paid directly to the school, it ceases to exist in terms of non-education expenses. (Cal and Pell grants would cover other identifiable costs related to education.)

https://www.csac.ca.gov/post/what-are-cal-grant-award-amounts

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Your work study goes to you – not to the school for tuition or room and board so can be used for other education or personal expenses.
However, it would be rare to work more than 10 to 15 hours a week in a work study job as a full time student. This means you earn about $3-4K max per semester at a work study job.

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If both are comfortably affordable for you and your family, and you have a strong preference for UCLA, then go to UCLA. It’s really that easy.

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So the total cost (when I add like tuition + food + housing) is $37,228 for Berkeley and I got $43,945 in grants. So the remaining cost before work study is -$6,717 and they offered me $4,500 in work-study. Also the grants I got were:

  • Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarship $16,022
  • Health Ins Allow Grant $2,417
  • Estimated New Student Award $500
  • Est Cal Grant A Fee Award $14,934
  • Federal Pell Grant $7,395
  • Federal SEOG Grant $260
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Yess I agree, I guess the money got to me and Berk’s chem prestige lol. I think UCLA has a great program but when I realized Berk was #1 I realized I had to consider it more yk

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Total cost of attendance includes other things, which is presumably what the FA offer is based on. The FA offer lists a grant specifically for health insurance, for example.

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The UCB College of Chemistry is awesome, but I have been told (perhaps those in the know can confirm or deny) that Berkeley undergrads are actually at a disadvantage when applying to College of Chemistry grad programs. So perhaps your best path is to enjoy the undergrad experience at UCLA as planned, and save Berkeley for grad school when the tippy-top reputation of the College of Chemistry really matters, and the environs may matter less than the opportunities.

Congrats on having this choice to make!

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Oh yes, my total cost of attendance is much higher, I’ve heard that what you actually pay is those three I listed above. My COA is estimated to be $51,945. But I plan on renting books or using PDFS when possible, I’ve heard transportation is free, I have my own health insurance, and personal expenses could be cheaper if family buys it or something else yk

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Oooh I see! Okay thank you so much.

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If you use your own health insurance, you lose the $2417 grant.

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The chemical engineering department explicitly says that it prefers its undergraduates to do PhD study elsewhere: CBE Grad FAQ | College of Chemistry

However, I did not find a similar statement from the chemistry department.

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If there is a chance you may want to change to chemical engineering, you may want to check how difficult it is at each school.

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Thanks! If I were the OP, and I were still considering Berkeley, I would ask someone directly about this before deciding.

But even if there isn’t an acknowledged disadvantage for chem students, I think the “Berkeley will be there for grad school” concept is a good addition to their internal “permission structure” to go ahead and enjoy the UCLA undergrad experience that they find more appealing.

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Are you able to get to Cal Day and Bruin Day? That made the choice obvious for my daughter. She was also deciding between Berkeley and UCLA for chemistry, and she found the Berkeley college of chemistry to be pompous and cold, old and white. The UCLA chemistry department felt dynamic and young. The wider campus vibes were so wildly different too.

I went to Berkeley myself in the 90s and spent my time looking over my shoulder hoping I wasn’t mugged (I had at least 5 friends who were mugged and robbed while we were there). I never walked alone at night. I didn’t want the same experience for my daughter. The UCLA campus is very safe, she walks alone at night, she doesn’t have to worry at all.

For someone thinking about pre-med, UCLA seems like a no-brainer. The opportunities on campus are limitless because of the medical school and all of the research institutes related to it. Half the kids she meets are pre-med.

The downside is that it is so very very crowded. Housing is guaranteed, but you will spend all four years in a triple room if you live on campus. Every room on campus is now a triple, unless you are an athlete or have medical accomodations (and even then, it’s a fight with long waiting lists). It is truly brutal. If you go off campus for housing, it is expensive and run-down. And you still may end up in a triple room.

Berkeley housing is bad too, but nothing compares to the prices this close to Bel Air and Beverly Hills. And the fires this year have made things even more expensive.

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But note that crime generally is much lower now than in the 1990s (peak crime in the US was in 1991).

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It did not feel that way when we visited the Berkeley campus.

And the posts on the Berkeley Reddit page do not make it sound like the situation has improved much.

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We live in Berkeley, my kids have attended Berkeley High (located next to UCB, as you probably know) and one now attends UCB. I would say that Berkeley does feel safer to me now than it did in the 80s and 90s… or I wouldn’t have felt comfortable raising my kids here. But of course it’s still an urban campus.

@vpani can you clarify whether you were admitted to the UCB College of Chemistry, or the College of Letters & Science? There are two Chemistry majors at UCB, one in each of these Colleges. I expect that the undergraduate experience would be a bit different. Chemistry | Berkeley Academic Guide

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Much of the course work in CoC chemistry and L&S chemistry is the same, although CoC chemistry has a few more course requirements.