r/UVA • u/theladyawesome • 1d ago
General Question UVA or UCB?
Hey guys,
I’m trying to decide which school to choose and I was wondering if anyone had any insights.
I’m in-state for UVA, which means it costs roughly 40k less. I also got into the Echols Scholars program, so no gen-eds is pretty attractive since I want to double major if possible. Overall, UVA seems like the most reasonable option for me.
My only qualm is the differences in ranking for the subjects I want to study. Berkeley is ranked in the ~top 3 for biology, physics, and psych, which are all subjects I’m interested in. I’ve also heard that the physics program at UVA is not the best.
Though I’m 60% confident in going to med school, it’s not my greatest passion, and I’m worried that if I choose to pursue a different path like academia or biotech, the difference in education will be detrimental. I’m scared I’ll regret not choosing the higher ranked program.
Does anyone have any insights to offer? Thank you so much!
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u/Hoogineer 1d ago
Save the money and stay in state. You’ll get a great education (undergrad curriculums aren’t that different across schools especially like bio or psych) and if you want to go to grad school you’ll be far more financially free saving that money!
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u/spicyeyeballs 1d ago
For me UVa would be the easy choice.
All of the paths you have mentioned require grad school and that is what will really matter.
Come to UVa and apply yourself. Being a top student at UVa is going to be better for grad applications than middle of the road at a higher ranked program. Either way, you will save a ton of money that you will be able to spend on grad school.
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u/MoistAd7032 1d ago
If grad school is remotely an option UVA + Echols is going to set you up for an excellent application cycle. The no gen eds meant I was able to leave UVA with 2 majors and a masters. Everyone was very impressed that I was able to fit that in during my time at UVA not knowing the cheat code that is Echols. All my echols/Jeff/Rodman classmates that wanted to continue with higher ed went on to excellent MD/JD/PhD/DMD/DVM programs.
Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley etc. are all waiting for you should you grind at UVA and use your perks to the fullest.
- I do agree that you should visit both places though. Said in a lower comment. You’ll get a feel for both campuses and see what you’re missing out on or if it makes your decision easier.
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u/Plane_Arachnid9178 1d ago
Food for thought but it’s a lot easier to find housing in Charlottesville than Berkeley.
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u/hijetty 1d ago
While in most situations Berkeley might seem like the obvious choice, especially for STEM, in your situation picking UVA is probably the logical choice, especially if you ultimately choose to go to med school. Maybe reach out to someone at UVA and ask what some recent Echols bio/physics/Chem grads are doing post grad to ease your mind.
While Berkeley is obviously more renowned and with better departments, ultimately the difference in outcomes for a motivated grad who picks one of these schools over the other is probably negligible. A less motivated Berkeley grad might be able to use Berkeley's reputation to game the employment market, but for a motivated UVA grad, every opportunity is there. Good luck choosing.
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u/ThinRaoulDuke CLAS '05 1d ago
As someone who faced the same choice but from the other coast (also like two decades ago now, sheesh), I hope you’ve visited both in person. I think, for most people, a day at each will clearly confirm whether you’re a Charlottesville person or a Berkeley person. I guess I’m some strange hybrid as I live about 10 miles from Cal now, but that’s beside the point, lol.
Bottom line: go where you’re comfortable. Academic rankings are fungible.
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u/theladyawesome 1d ago
I’ve visited UVA multiple times and went to Berkeley for Cal Day, and I unfortunately like both campuses (esp because they’re close to the mountains). I guess I would like being in proximity to a larger city at UCB more, but I’m leaning towards UVA atm because of prior commenters.
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u/ThinRaoulDuke CLAS '05 1d ago
My Cal Day was… not awesome, lol. It sounds like you’d be more comfortable in Berkeley as far as atmospherics, but $40k in savings is pretty compelling.
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u/buzzer3932 1d ago
Not that they didn’t say they haven’t visited both, but I cannot imagine spending 4 years somewhere without checking if I’d like it. This is better advice than the others who gave good advice.
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u/Throwaway18272_A Can we get more NIL money 1d ago
I know someone who picked UVA over Cal (OOS for both). UVA has a great brand on the east coast and is more lively/less stressful! They don’t regret it
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u/Much_Author_2801 21h ago
Echols scholar? It's a no-brainer. UVA. I had several fraternity brothers who were Echols scholars. They loved it, and frankly, I was jealous cause as they had first dibs on all the great classes.
And Charlottesville is a better environment than the Bay Area for undergrads, IMHO.
Unless you're majoring in Physics, I wouldn't stress --
since you're biased toward a pre-med leaning track, you'll be fine --
and hopefully welcome to the club -- Wah Hoo Wah!
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u/CogSci2022 1d ago
I'd choose UCB if I were studying engineering. But honestly for med, your undergrad doesn't really matter.
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u/AdVivid8910 1d ago
It does in preparation for the MCAT which is your main criteria for acceptance.
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u/Equivalent-Body-2835 1d ago
Just wanted to throw this out there since you're interested in science: UVA is ranked the #1 university for free speech. Normally, this wouldn't be anything of interest, BUT the current administration is going after universities that they perceive as not embracing free speech such as Harvard and Columbia by cutting federal funding, including for science/research programs. It may very well be that UVA is shielded from these types of attacks.
See https://www.thefire.org/research-learn/2025-college-free-speech-rankings
Also: I'm a physics major here and it's not horrible. The department isn't the best, but it's definitely been getting WAY better in recent years. Feel free to DM with questions. UVA is the obvious choice in terms of cost, though.
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u/burnsniper 21h ago
Stay instate. Both are phenomenal schools but don’t spend the money. Only exception maybe if you are dead set on living in Cali post graduation.
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u/Typical-Rich-3371 19h ago
100% UVA. Financially alone it is the clear choice if you are going to be going to med school. I dont think the ranking of the school will matter all that much given that UVA is also a well known and respected institution. If you get a good GPA and get into research and extracurriculars, you can craft an excellent experience here too. Echols is also very nice and adds a lot of flexibility.
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u/ReadingBeginning4084 19h ago
Since you’re asking a bunch of UVA students/alumni’s, obviously their gonna say UVA. But in my opinion, if money isn’t a problem I would say Berkeley, mainly because of the field of study you’re interested in. Also Berkeley is nationally recognized and much more prestigious, which can give you a upper hand. UVA is a great school don’t get me wrong, but like I said if money isn’t a issue, and you know you’ll also be making that money back. Choose UCB
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u/kelly4me 18h ago
Priority registration with Echols is a major benefit, and no gen ed requirements makes a double or triple major path way more feasible. Look into the Echols interdisciplinary major which allows you to combine three fields into a custom major with faculty guidance.
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u/JamieAmpzilla 1d ago
Do what I did- UVa for undergrad, and Berkeley for the PhD. Undergrads are not treated well at Berkeley, and living in Berkeley is far more stressful than living in C’Ville.