HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

University of California-Berkeley vs University of California-Los Angeles

University of California-Berkeley clears +$2.50M in 30-year net value, University of California-Los Angeles +$664K — both pay off, University of California-Berkeley by +$1.84M.

Two California public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

clears more

30-year net value
+$2.50M
Total cost of attendance
$150,168
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$78,142
Breaks even by age
35

University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA

30-year net value
+$664K
Total cost of attendance
$123,580
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$56,307
Breaks even by age
—
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “University of California-Berkeley vs University of California-Los Angeles: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/berkeley-vs-ucla

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Questions

Is University of California-Berkeley or University of California-Los Angeles a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, University of California-Berkeley clears +$2.50M and University of California-Los Angeles +$664K — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; University of California-Berkeley comes out ahead by +$1.84M. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does University of California-Berkeley pay off than University of California-Los Angeles?
About +$1.84M over a 30-year horizon (+$2.50M vs +$664K in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from University of California-Berkeley?
+$2.50M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $150,168, median earnings ten years out $78,142, breaking even around age 35. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.