UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate 2024 – 2026
If you are planning to apply for a degree or an undergraduate program in UC Berkeley and you are finding it hard getting the relevant answers or helpful guide that will help you know the right step to take and what you should do so as to increase your chances in securing a spot in the University of California, Berkeley, this article will help you
The University of California, Berkeley,located in San Francisco Bay, is amongst the top rated public universities in the US. In fact U.S. News and World Report has recently ranked UC Berkeley as the best 4th university in the world and best public university right here in the State ; in it latest ranking report.
with over 35,000 students that are currently enrolled in various academic programs. The institution offers over 350 degree programs in 14 of its colleges, giving students access to a siren environment and a community equipped with abundant research opportunities.
We all know that the university has a close proximity to the Silicon Valley and this is a plus to students who will find it easy to have a first hand experience in innovation, technology business and above all entrepreneurship.
The University of California, Berkeley is best known for it interdisciplinary and collaborative curriculum and undergraduate teaching system.
University of California, Berkeley acceptance rate
UC Berkeley being a public University doesn’t make it an easy work over, although it is not an ivy league university, still yet UC Berkeley has proven to be one of the top competitive and hardest universities in the USA.
The University of California, Berkeley acceptance rate is about 12%. UC Berkeley admission has one of the most selective acceptance rate which places the institution on the list of hardest university in the US for any student to secure a spot in.
Factors That Matters In UC Berkeley Acceptance And Admissions Process
When it comes to the process of admitting student into any department at the prestigious University of California, student’s GPA plays an important role in determining if a candidate stands a chance of being admitted or not. Another factor admission officers at uc berkeley consider is the letters of recommendation
UC Berkeley Admission Requirements:
UC Berkeley admit students who meets the minimum requirement — but truth be told, majority or bulk of students that applied for admission at UC Berkeley far exceed all these requirements.
Now when it comes to admission, the admission officer will go through your academic records to see if you stand a chance and also make it through the vast number of application the school receives in a given year.
What GPA is needed for UC Berkeley?
It will interest you to know that your GPA is the main indicator of your academic ability. UC Berkeley takes your GPA very seriously when considering if you will be offered an admission or not.
In case you are not aware, UC Berkeley does not make use of SAT or ACT scores
in its review process any longer.
Back to the question on What GPA is needed for UC Berkeley.
On average,majority of the students admitted boast of unweighted GPA of 3.89 and a weighted GPA that hovers around 4.25 to even 4.61. To increase your chances or stand at the top to be considered for admission This means you’ll need this GPA score but don’t worry if your GPA is below 3.89
we won’t say it is impossible to get admitted as you could still be given an opportunity to study but truth be told in an institution that have a low acceptance rate plus thousands of application it receives from students worldwide its best you prepare your self better so you stand out from the pool of thousands of applicant.
Although bulk of students accepted into the institution has an average GPA of 3.8. To stand a better chance of being accepted into The University of California, Berkeley you should at least get a GPA of 4.0 as this will increase your chances.
IF you are to apply for an engineering program you need an average GPA of 3.7 while those applying for law need an average GPA of 3.8. On the other hand GPA for Business on the average is 3.67.
What kind of student is UC Berkeley for?
UC Berkeley is looking for students with genuine interest to study who are not only persistent but also students who are passionate with a burning desire to give back to their community.
UC Berkeley is looking for students that have an excellent character in them who are able to demonstrate leadership,intellectual independence, initiative and motivation.
More also couple with the challenge and pressure that comes with such demanding institution, UC Berkeley is looking for students who are not only intellectual but also capable of achievement, responsible, mature and lastly creative spaces.
The list is endless, but what you should have in mind is that your application to study in UC Berkeley University will be thoroughly reviewed; the admission Committee would want to ascertain if you are fit in all rounds for UC Berkeley community.
Is UC Berkeley a hard school to get into?
Yes UC Berkeley is a hard school to get into. When you take a look at the school acceptance rate you will discover that it is very competitive and one’s profile just need to be in good standing to stand out from the crowd.
Your GPA is not the only factor that could make the admission committee or officials consider you but your character and ability to demonstrate leadership skills and how well you are able to convinced them on this skill will go a long way to show that you could as well contribute to the
intellectual and cultural community and also to the world at large.
How to improve your chances :
We wont bore you with long list but we will be touching just few important area you should consider. Before applying to UC Berkeley you should try as much as improving your grade while in high school. Your UC GPA will be looked into and thoroughly review putting into consideration your pattern of performance and how you have performed over a period of time.
They will also look at each and every courses you have been able to complete. You wont believe this but its true ; UC Berkeley while reviewing your application will try to compare your profile to that of other applicant from your school.
Is UC Berkeley Ivy League?
UC Berkeley being one of the top rated universities in the United States with outstanding teaching facilities coupled with an excellent undergraduate teaching curriculum; its not regarded or listed amongst the Ivy League schools.
University of California, Berkeley acceptance rate table
| Year | Applicants | -Acceptance Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 128,196 | ~12% | |
| 2021 | 112,835 | 14.4% | |
| 2020 | 88,064 | 17.5% | |
| 2019 | 87,398 | 16.3% | |
| 2018 | 89,609 | 14.8% | |
| 2017 | 85,045 | 17.1% | |
| 2016 | 82,560 | 16.9% | |
| 2015 | 78,893 | 16.9% | |
| 2014 | 73,785 | 16.0% | |
| 2013 | 67,606 | 17.7% | |
| 2012 | 61,717 | 18.0% | |
| 2011 | 52,982 | 21.6% |
UC Berkeley acceptance rate by major
| Major name | Admit rate |
|---|---|
| Environmental earth science | 39% |
| Environmental economics & policy | 37% |
| Geography | 27% |
| Conservation & resources studies | 48% |
| Environmental science | 12% |
| Society & environment | 33% |
| Architecture | 21% |
| Landscape architecture | 16% |
| American studies | 58% |
| Chicano studies | 26% |
| Gender & women’s studies | 20% |
| Integrative biology | 27% |
| Molecular & cell biology | 26% |
| Microbial biology | 20% |
| Molecular environmental biology | 25% |
| Business administration | 4% |
| Media studies | 26% |
| Computer science | 4% |
| Data Science | 15% |
| Chemical engineering | 37% |
| Bioengineering | 21% |
| Civil engineering | 27% |
| Electrical engineering – computer science | 10% |
| Mechanical engineering | 16% |
| Art | 42% |
| Film | 29% |
| History of art | 53% |
| Music | 41% |
| Theater and performance studies | 52% |
| Chinese language & literature | 16% |
| Japanese language & literature | 43% |
| Linguistics | 17% |
| Cognitive science | 9% |
| Global studies | 17% |
| Interdisciplinary studies | 50% |
| Nutritional science | 10% |
| Legal studies | 20% |
| English | 43% |
| History | 19% |
| Philosophy | 51% |
| Applied mathematics | 31% |
| Mathematics | 26% |
| Statistics | 35% |
| Chemical biology | 13% |
| Chemistry | 20% |
| Physics | 40% |
| Psychology | 6% |
| Public health | 15% |
| Anthropology | 15% |
| Economics | 22% |
| Political economy | 26% |
| Political science | 21% |
| Sociology | 46% |
Note: The data above is for transfer students only.
Who gets into UCB?
Gender
| Female | 52.2% |
| Male | 46.8% |
| Not reported | 0.5% |
| Genderqueer | 0.3% |
| Trans Male | 0.1% |
| Trans Female | 0.1% |
Residency
| California resident | 65.5% |
| Nonresident international | 15.0% |
| Nonresident domestic | 12.5% |
| Unknown | 7.0% |
Ethnicity
| African American | 3.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino(a) | 18.8% |
| American Indian | 0.4% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.2% |
| Asian | 38.9% |
| White | 20.8% |
| Domestic unknown | 4.0% |
| International | 13.1% |
GPA and test scores of middle 25%-75% students
| High School GPA | 4.17 – 4.31 |
| ACT Composite Score | 30 – 35 |
| ACT English Language Arts | 28 – 32 |
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | 660 – 750 |
| SAT Mathematics | 680 – 790 |
| SAT Essay | 16 – 19 |
UC Berkeley application process:
While the application fee is 70$ and $80 for international and non-immigrant applicants, you are advised to carefully follow the laid down procedures while applying.
Some basic documents you need are:
- Transcripts: you need to get it from your school.
- Test scores: SAT or ACT it is not compulsory when UC Berkeley is making decisions on your admission status but could serve as an alternative to meeting the minimum requirements for course placement or eligibility
- Annual income
- Social Security number: this is important especially if you will like to consider applying for financial aid.
- Citizenship status : state your citizenship status or your country of origin, visa status etc most especially if you are an international student.
- California Statewide Student ID
- Credit card.
What is the tuition fee for UC Berkeley?
The average tuition fee to pay is $14,226 for in-state and $43,980 for international students. This shows that if you are coming from outside the state you are likely to spend more which places it as one of the most expensive universities for international students.
Michael Larry is an instructor and an educationist, who like to bring out the best in other through his inspirational writeup.