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Boston University vs University of California, Berkeley

Where graduates end up, what each school really costs, and who gets in, side by side from each school's official ABA data. Add your LSAT and GPA to see your chances and scholarship estimates at both.

VS
Add your numbersSee your admission chances and scholarship estimates at both schools.

The short version

  • UC Berkeley places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 63.6% of the Class of 2025, against 42.5% at Boston.
  • Boston costs about $103K less over three years after the average scholarship: $194K against $297K, and more of its students get a scholarship (91% vs 86%).
  • Boston is harder to get into: a 170 median LSAT and a 12.1% acceptance rate, against 170 and 14.8% at UC Berkeley.
Boston
vs
UC Berkeley

Where graduates go

UC Berkeley leads 4 of 5

42.5%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓63.6%
41.1%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
✓57.2%
1.4%
Federal clerkships
✓6.4%
96.7%
Graduates employed
✓98.9%
✓94.9%
First time bar passage
94.8%

What it costs

Boston leads 3 of 4

✓$194K
Three year net cost
$297K
✓91%
Students receiving a scholarship
86%
$29,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$31,158/yr
✓$28,341/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$26,853/yr

Who gets in

Acceptance rate: Boston 12.1% · UC Berkeley 14.8%

LSAT

Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.

Boston
164170171
UC Berkeley
167170172
162164166168170172174

GPA

Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.

Boston
3.713.883.93
UC Berkeley
3.843.923.99
3.653.753.853.954.05

Frequently asked questions

Is Boston or UC Berkeley better for BigLaw?
UC Berkeley placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 63.6% against 42.5%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Boston placed 41.1% and UC Berkeley placed 57.2%. Federal clerkships were 1.4% at Boston and 6.4% at UC Berkeley.
Which is harder to get into, Boston or UC Berkeley?
Boston's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 170 and a median GPA of 3.88, with a 12.1% acceptance rate. UC Berkeley's had 170 and 3.92, with 14.8%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Boston or UC Berkeley?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $194K at Boston and $297K at UC Berkeley, including living costs. Public schools are shown at out of state tuition. Your own scholarship can move these numbers a lot, so add your numbers above for an estimate.
Which gives more scholarship money, Boston or UC Berkeley?
91% of Boston students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $29,000 a year among recipients. 86% of UC Berkeley students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $31,158 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
94.9% of Boston's first time takers passed in 2025, against 94.8% at UC Berkeley. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Boston or UC Berkeley?
It depends on your goals, your odds and your offers. Compare where each school's graduates end up, then add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances and scholarships at both. Your scholarship offer usually changes the cost more than anything else.

What a higher LSAT changes

Move the LSAT slider in the admissions calculator to watch your odds and scholarship estimates change at every school.

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Figures come from each school’s official ABA disclosures. Admission chances and scholarship estimates are modeled from that data and are not predictions of any individual decision. Our data and methodology

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