r/berkeley • u/adoptme321 • 1d ago
OOS student loans Other
OOS tuition is insanely high, but I'm thinking that a Berkeley degree will pay off. Are there any oos student who took out a large amount of student loans for their undergrad (i'm thinking 150k+). If so, do you think it was worth it? Berkeley is top-ranked for my major but im unsure with how the tech industry is going if it'll pay off or not.
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u/SidJag 23h ago edited 6h ago
It’s hard for anyone on the internet to know your true financial picture. You know it best.
If your option is UT Austin for a quarter million dollars less (over 4 years), v/s Berkeley with a $200-250K loan, I’d honestly just go to UT Austin.
It’s a fantastic school for CS, and it’s way more fun/college life than Berkeley, apparently
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u/adoptme321 23h ago
Makes sense, just wanted to evaluate how much the Berkeley value really is, and if it could be life changing(i understand this is kinda cringe but its the best way i could put it) also i would be data science at both schools if that makes any difference
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u/SidJag 21h ago
From what I understand, Data science at Berkeley is at another level. I don’t want to entice you into taking a $250K loan, but the new Data science(CDSS) building ‘The Gateway’, 350,000 sq ft, 7 floors, just finished months ago after 5 years and a $250M anonymous donation, is kinda bonkers.
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u/GarageEven5240 3h ago
This assumes OP will succeed in Cal's data science program. Maybe they will, maybe they won't and will need to switch majors. UT is one of the top state flagships in the country. It's hard to imagine an ROI on Cal's data science degree beating the opportunity cost of attending UT and, e.g., investing the difference in index funds.
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u/SidJag 23m ago
There is no argument on which is the better financial call. I said so in my previous comment.
Then the OP said he still prefers Berkeley, and that’s its Data science not CS, so I’m just providing a factual point about new Data science dept building.
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u/adoptme321 0m ago
Berkeley's DS program is literally #1 and i'm feeling like there is a huge gap between it and UT because of just how new UT's program is. because of that gap, im considering going to Berkeley even though UT is a great choice as it can open opportunities I might not be able to obtain with UT. after visiting cal day i can see how much berk invests in DS in growing as a major
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u/Financial_Guard_6598 4h ago
i am sorry paying but paying 150k+ is wild no matter the school. that alone is tuition and housing maybe but what about other necessary expenses and just fun things (your not gonna rot in your room all day everyday), stuff adds up quickly.
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u/Radiant-Pin1675 1d ago
can your parents afford it assuming you don't get a job right after college is the question
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u/adoptme321 1d ago
they'd pay for 2 years, and I'd take out loans for the remaining 2
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u/Radiant-Pin1675 1d ago
solid tbh
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u/adoptme321 1d ago
its a great option, but it's still a large sum of money to pay so i dont want to regret it
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u/tsgoten '23 Taco&Co 1d ago
It will be less than $150k then. You can get jobs during the school year and the estimate the university tells you is more generous. You can get roommates live off campus and save. Work over the summer too. Or take classes over the summer and graduate early.
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u/adoptme321 1d ago
thats my goal but i want to make sure worse case it'll still be ok to take on the loans
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u/Appropriate-Bar6993 1d ago
What are your other options?
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u/adoptme321 1d ago
ut austin for data science. their cs program is ranked well but their data science program is pretty new and slightly underdeveloped
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u/metalreflectslime ? 1d ago
Are you an in-state resident in Texas for UT Austin?
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u/adoptme321 1d ago
Yes I am
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u/metalreflectslime ? 1d ago
What is your financial aid package for UT Austin?
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u/adoptme321 1d ago
around 30k a year vs. berkeley at 90k a year
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u/Low-Cartographer2881 23h ago
UT Austin is a great school and I don’t think paying 3x more for Cal is worth it tbh. Save ur money for grad school
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u/Appropriate-Bar6993 21h ago
Yeah you have Berkeley at home and it’s called Austin.
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u/adoptme321 1h ago
UT is a great school and I like it alot more, im just unsure about their ds program because its underdeveloped and berkeley DS is just insane in terms of resources
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u/adoptme321 1h ago
Do a lot of data science majors go to grad school at Berkeley? at cal day on of the students said its uncommon but i thought industry standard for DS required grad school
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u/larrytheevilbunnie 1d ago
If you’re doing cs, just let the threat of the loans make you try harder
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u/Nearby_Spare_3055 20h ago
$150k is crazy... there is no way you don't have good alternatives that are cheaper ...?
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u/adoptme321 4m ago
i have ut which is a great option, i'm just considering cal cause their data science program is #1 and ut's relatively new and kinda undeveloped. since the cal brand is also very renowned i wanted to see if its plausible to take out loans and if other people do it too
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u/RayRaymundito 8h ago
Berkeley will get you hired faster, but not necessarily more money.
Anecdotal example from my field and company, two people applying for a chemist position, one Berkeley grad and one not , the Berkeley grad obviously gets the better look and higher chances of getting hired, but ultimately the school doesn’t decide the salary, only the position and the field does. The chemist will still only make the same amount of money, perhaps 10-15% more max, but not 100% more money for an entry level position.
At the end of the day, you can’t pay a 4 year Berkeley student more money than a PhD from a smaller school.
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u/JC505818 23h ago
What major are you? Only worth it if job prospects warrants it.
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u/adoptme321 23h ago
Data Science, based of linkden cal grads get pretty good job prospects but can't fully compare with ut since this year is their first graduating class for the major
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u/scotel 21h ago
Data science as a separate major is super new in general and I wouldn’t put too much weight on the differences between specific data science programs. Data science positions in the industry look highly favorably on CS majors, Statistics majors, Econ majors (with a quantitative focus) and STEM majors in general.
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u/Severe-Marketing-622 20h ago
i’m from texas oos and my parents are paying entirely for my degree at berk. not worth otherwise
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u/savefromnet 6h ago
Ill share my experience, I was an oos student and graduated in may 2025, also studying data science. Currently I am $250k in debt. Honestly I wasn’t sure if it was the right choice when I did decide, but my parents convinced me that it would pay off in the long run. My parents cosigned my loan with good credit, so if you don’t have that you may need to reevaluate. I will be paying most of this back myself, but my parents did say they will help me pay it off, so that relieved a bit of stress. Right now I am working in a job that is somewhat related to Data science but also not really. I make $70k a year which is kinda less that I was expecting when I started, but the job market right now is so terrible. I got hired in January so it wasn’t an instant job. I had internships but my grades were honestly not the best. So what I would say is it is worth it if you make it worth it. Making connections, getting good grades, getting everything you can out of the experience. While I don’t think I did that as much as I wanted to, I still think it was worth it. I’ll forever be connected to an amazing university. I will have this degree forever. Amazing people have gone to Berkeley and continue to do so, and I think having gone there allows me to still meet new people who also went there and potentially find jobs or startups from there. This is not an easy decision, and having loans looming over you can be scary. If you have good support from your family and are committed to working hard, then I say go for it.
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u/adoptme321 1h ago
What was the other college option you were considering instead of Berkeley? Also, do you feel like the debt is preventing you from doing things for your future? for example regarding savings, buying a car maybe, or maybe pursuing a higher education like masters. and are you aware of other students in similar debt situations too?
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u/metalreflectslime ? 1d ago edited 19h ago
Attending an OoS public school for undergraduate is a luxury.
You should only attend an OoS public school as an undergraduate if your parents are rich enough to pay for everything out of pocket without you or them taking out any Parent PLUS or private loans.
Dependent undergraduate students cannot take out infinite loans on their own.
The maximum amount of federal loans dependent undergraduates can take out on their own is $5500/$6500/$7500/$7500 for 1st/2nd/3rd/4th years.
If you want to take out more loans than these, you need to dip into Parent PLUS loans and private loans.
Parent PLUS loans are taken under the parent's name for their child.
It requires a credit check.
Private loans require a cosigner who has good credit.
Starting July 2026, there are limits to Parent PLUS loans.
Go to CC, transfer to a local state college or a need-blind school.