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CollegeGrad School
University of California System

University of California - Berkeley

#6 in Top Public Universities in America
  • 4 Year
  • Berkeley, CA
  • 3,968 reviews
    A+
    Overall Niche Grade
    How are grades calculated?
    1. Academics
      A+
    2. Value
      A+
    3. Diversity
      A+
    4. Campus
      B
    5. Athletics
      A
    6. Party Scene
      A
    7. Professors
      A+
    8. Location
      A+
    9. Dorms
      D+
    10. Campus Food
      B
    11. Student Life
      A+
    12. Safety
      C-
    View Full Report Card
    UC Berkeley is a highly rated public university located in Berkeley, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a large institution with an enrollment of 29,351 undergraduate students. Admissions is competitive as the UC Berkeley acceptance rate is 17%. Popular majors include Economics, Computer Science, and Cellular Biology. Graduating 91% of students, UC Berkeley alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $48,700.
    About University of California - Berkeley...
    Athletic Division
    NCAA Division I-FBS
    Athletic Conference
    Pacific-12 Conference
    Address
    200 California Hall
    Berkeley, CA 94720
    Branch of
    University of California System
    Website
    berkeley.edu
    Compare to Other Colleges
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    University of California - Berkeley Rankings

    Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

    Admissions

    Acceptance Rate
    17%
    Application Deadline
    November 30
    SAT Range
    1260-1480
    ACT Range
    30-34
    Application Fee
    $70
    SAT/ACT
    Required
    High School GPA
    Required
    Early Decision/Early Action
    No

    Cost

    Net Price
    $18,178/ year
    National
    $15,523
    Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
    Average Total Aid Awarded
    $18,319/ year
    National
    $7,535
    Students Receiving Financial Aid
    60%

    Academics

    Professors
    A+
    Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
    Student Faculty Ratio
    18:1
    Evening Degree Programs
    No
    70%
    of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.227 responses
    39%
    of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.255 responses
    37%
    of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.255 responses
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    Majors

    Most Popular Majors
    • Economics
      655 Graduates
    • Computer Science
      606 Graduates
    • Cellular Biology
      577 Graduates
    • Political Science and Government
      410 Graduates
    • Environmental Science
      385 Graduates
    • Business
      344 Graduates
    • Electrical Engineering
      336 Graduates
    • Cognitive Science
      306 Graduates
    • Social Sciences
      292 Graduates
    • Communications
      291 Graduates

    Students

    Full-Time Enrollment
    29,351Undergrads
    Part-Time Undergrads
    1,223
    Undergrads Over 25
    5%
    Pell Grant
    19%
    Varsity Athletes
    3%
    Poll
    What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
    Based on 167 responses
    Report
    • Competitive and hardworking
      31%
    • Motivated, driven
      18%
    • Dedicated and exceptionally intelligent
      17%
    • Motivated, hardworking, intelligent and amazing!!!
      16%
    • Motivated but know how to have fun
      9%
    • Motivated, Quirky, Intelligent
      5%
    • They are some characters
      2%

    Campus Life

    Freshmen Live On-Campus
    —
    Poll
    62%
    of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join.310 responses
    Poll
    59%
    of students say varsity sports are a big part of campus life.368 responses
    Poll
    What one word or phrase best describes your school?
    Based on 171 responses
    Report
    • Diverse, liberal, crazy, and intelligent
      31%
    • Diverse and liberal
      15%
    • Inclusive and intelligent
      12%
    • Competitive, awe- inspiring, + challenging
      10%
    • AMAZING
      9%
    • Competitive, liberal, and difficult
      8%
    • Competative and liberal
      6%

    After College

    Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
    $64,700/ year
    National
    $33,028
    Graduation Rate
    91%
    National
    49%
    Employed 2 Years After Graduation
    88%
    National
    83%
    68%
    of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.154 responses
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    University of California - Berkeley Reviews

    3,968 reviews
    All Categories
    I am currently an out of state freshman at Berkeley over halfway through my second semester. I was wary of having high expectations of Berkeley and buying into the cultivated image of perfect inclusion, challenging and inspiring intellectualism, and care for social justice/activism. Even though I tried to manage my expectations, they were disappointed. THAT BEING SAID, I'm glad I am a student at Berkeley. It is the best and the worst, wonderful and terrible, and for me, that feels like a fairly accurate representation of how the world is today. If you would describe yourself as an idealistic person, yes, come to Berkeley! But be prepared to hold onto your values tightly.
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    The opportunities and passionate professors are amazing. However there is much progress to made on making the campus more accessible to peers or employees with disabilities. With that, representation of minority groups are still forming so adjusting on campus may be an everyday struggle. Berkeley has a beautiful campus and amazing research and study libraries. The atmosphere is vibrant, unique, but rigorous & there are always networking and guest speaker events on campus!
    For context, I am a transfer student who transferred at thirty years old to finish my undergraduate degree in Media Studies. Their orientation week is amazing if you do it. The alumni and career center are amazing resources for networking and internships. It is very possible to achieve what it is that you're setting out to achieve. Beware that the South Side of campus is slightly dodgy, but you are told the best ways to stay safe. In-state tuition is great if you're from California, if not, I highly recommend attempting to gain residency. Save utility bills and a lease agreement from your Freshman apartment (if you come as a Freshman. You'll save yourself or your parents thousands of dollars. Get involved though. You get out what you put in!