Home › Compare › Electrical › University of California-Berkeley vs University of South Florida

Electrical: University of California-Berkeley vs University of South Florida

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL
In-State
35.5x
$59,400 tuition
33.7x
$25,640 tuition
Out-of-State
11.6x
$182,508 tuition
12.5x
$69,296 tuition
$2,109,961 10-yr earnings · Public
$863,918 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

University of California-Berkeley University of South Florida
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 35.5x 33.7x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 11.6x 12.5x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $59,400 $25,640
Year 1 Earnings $137,295 $78,825
10-Year Earnings $2,110K $864K
Median Debt $13,674 $23,500
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 1.2 months 3.6 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 71/100 70/100
Acceptance Rate 11.7% 41.0%

Both programs have very high AI automation risk (56% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Electrical graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Electrical graduates.

University of California-Berkeley University of South Florida
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $59,400 $25,640
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $182,508 $69,296
10-Year Projected Earnings $2,110K $864K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 35.5x 33.7x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 11.6x 12.5x
5-Year Salary Growth +75% +24%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Electrical (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

University of California-Berkeley University of South Florida
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $2,298K $2,110K $1,576K $907K $864K $723K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 38.7x 35.5x 26.5x 35.4x 33.7x 28.2x
DegreeWorth Score 73 71 65 72 70 64

For the full AI analysis of Electrical career paths, see the University of California-Berkeley or University of South Florida program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Electrical graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$33,760
University of South Florida saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$58,470/yr
University of California-Berkeley grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
35.5x / 33.7x
Out-of-state: 11.6x / 12.5x

Career Paths

Electrical graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Architectural and engineering managers $167,740 14,500 +3.8% 41%
Computer hardware engineers $155,020 4,700 +7.3% 73%
Aerospace engineers $134,830 4,500 +6.1% 57%
Electronics engineers, except computer $127,590 5,700 +6.2% 67%
Engineers, all other $117,750 9,300 +2.1% 46%
Electrical engineers $111,910 11,700 +7.2% 56%
Engineering teachers, postsecondary $106,120 4,100 +8.1% 50%
Want to compare different schools or majors? Try the freeform comparison tool →

Explore Each Program

Electrical at University of California-Berkeley → Electrical at University of South Florida →

More Electrical Comparisons

Arizona State University Campus Immersion vs University of California-Berkeley Arizona State University Campus Immersion vs University of South Florida California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo vs University of California-Berkeley California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo vs University of South Florida California State Polytechnic University-Pomona vs University of California-Berkeley California State Polytechnic University-Pomona vs University of South Florida

Electrical Overview

View all schools offering Electrical →

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Electrical: University of California-Berkeley or University of South Florida?
University of California-Berkeley scores 71/100 while University of South Florida scores 70/100. University of South Florida has significantly lower tuition, which drives its competitive ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Electrical?
University of California-Berkeley has an in-state earnings multiple of 35.5x vs University of South Florida's 33.7x. That means University of California-Berkeley grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition. The $33,760 tuition gap is the biggest driver of this difference.
How do University of California-Berkeley and University of South Florida compare on Electrical earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $137,295 at University of California-Berkeley vs $78,825 at University of South Florida. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $2,109,961 vs $863,918 — a difference of $1,246,043.
How much does Electrical cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $59,400 at University of California-Berkeley and $25,640 at University of South Florida. Median debt at graduation is $13,674 vs $23,500. Both programs lead to the same Electrical career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.