USC Marshall for Business Administration ($100k per year, no financial aid granted)
vs.
UC Berkeley for Economics ($40k per year).
How much does the cost difference matter to you?
Do you prefer to study business or economics?
my parents are willing to pay for usc if it’s my best option, but obv not ideal. I’m not 100% dead set on any specific career path, but here are some doors that are open: marketing, consulting, accounting, finance, etc.
Berkeley is way better and more prestigious, its a t20. USC isnt a t20
For Business it’s T10. Berkeley is, too, but I don’t think it’s fair to say USC isn’t good
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Both are amazing but Econ is a social science. It’s theory.
Financial, accounting, marketing - are professional disciplines.
Which interests you ?
If they’re willing to spend $400k and it won’t impact their lifestyle or retirement, and that’s what you want great.
If that’s what you want but not at that spend - then there are other fine schools still taking apps like ASU and U of A. ASU is tops for supply chain and MIS while U of A tops for MIS but strong in all disciplines.
Unless you seek I Banking or consulting, USC is grossly overpriced. Not overrated but overpriced because for regular corporate jobs you could get from most any school.
If you are more ok with the unknown and not learning a specific professional discipline in school but a lot of theory, go Berkeley. It’s strong in Econ.
So it does come down to what do you want to study.
If it’s business, how much does your family realistically want to pay. If it’s less, find an alternative school. No reason to strangle them financially. USC b school grads sit next to Long Beach State, ASU and everywhere else in the office.
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Within UCB economics, there are upper level electives in financial economics and behavioral economics (which somewhat relates to marketing). However, accounting would be in the business department, whose courses may not be very accessible to non-business majors. Because there is a business major at UCB, the economics department does not have as many business-adjacent course offerings compared to some economics departments at schools without a business major.
It is hard to recommend a school cost $100K/year that is not MIT, Stanford or Ivy. But if your intention is getting business degree, then I would not recommend switching to Econ major just for getting into CAL. Good Luck.
Hence the if you want to study business and are not looking at a niche field, there are lots of great b schools still taking apps that will save $50-75k a year over SC. That’s lots of $$ for likely a similar job.
What is your plan at UCB if you don’t like Econ? (seriously, I know dozens and dozens of students who wanted a business career and econ as a major did not work for them)
It would be tough to go into accounting with an econ degree. Grad school (beyond the 150 hours required to sit for the CPA test) would likely be necessary.
Would your parents need to take out loans to pay for USC?
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That’s $160,000 for four years vs $400,000 for four years.
That’s a huge difference, and Berkeley is a fabulous university with many options should you change your mind.
Unless money is no object, I’d choose Berkeley.
With a quick search I could not find the undergraduate placement report for Marshall’s. Do ask them for a report to see where they place.
The choice cannot possibly be between just these two if you have such a wide budget.
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Unlike SC, Cal has a job board. How often updates it is I don’t know. For example, last year’s Econ shows 65% working and 18% still looking. Is it that high still - I don’t know. 70% end up in CA.
They show a $90k median, with 61% getting one offer, 22% two offers and 12% three offers.
You can see employers and job titles in the employment tab.
If it doesn’t open, I set it to 2024 and Economics.
Unless your parents are sitting on piles of cash, I’d pick UCB Econ between the two.
You can still break into any business related career with an Econ major at UCB (ranked # 1 in the nation for undergraduate Econ).
You could still compete and join most of the business clubs at UCB as an Econ major, so you won’t really be limited for opportunities.
May be take a tour of both?