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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
    C-
  10. Campus Food
    A
  11. Student Life
    A+
  12. Safety
    C
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University of California - Berkeley is ...
Public
Athletic Division
NCAA Division I-FBS
Athletic Conference
Pacific-12 Conference
Address
200 California Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
Website
berkeley.edu
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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
1270-1540
ACT Range
31-34
Application Fee
$70
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Early Decision/Early Action
No
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Cost

Net Price
$17,160/ year
National
$15,523
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $8,677/ year
  • $30-48k
    $9,522/ year
  • $49-75k
    $13,920/ year
  • $76-110k
    $20,858/ year
  • $110k+
    $29,197/ year
Student Loan Options from Lenders
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  • 1% Cash Back + affordable rates starting at 3.82% APR w/auto debit discount
  • No application, origination or disbursement fees

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
40%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.240 responses
38%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.240 responses
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Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Economics
    615 Graduates
  • Cellular Biology
    571 Graduates
  • Computer Science
    556 Graduates
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering
    393 Graduates
  • Business Administration and Management
    389 Graduates
  • Political Science and Government
    366 Graduates
  • Psychology
    350 Graduates
  • Mathematics & Statistics
    316 Graduates
  • Biology
    299 Graduates
  • Social Sciences
    269 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
28,108Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
5%
Pell Grant
23%
Varsity Athletes
3%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 152 responses
Report
  • Competitive and hardworking
    31%
  • Motivated, driven
    19%
  • Dedicated and exceptionally intelligent
    17%
  • Motivated, hardworking, intelligent and amazing!!!
    14%
  • 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.295 responses
Poll
59%
of students say varsity sports are a big part of campus life.353 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 156 responses
Report
  • Diverse, liberal, crazy, and intelligent
    30%
  • Diverse and liberal
    16%
  • Inclusive and intelligent
    13%
  • Competitive, awe- inspiring, + challenging
    10%
  • AMAZING
    9%
  • Competative and liberal
    6%
  • Competitive, liberal, and difficult
    6%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$61,800/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
92%
National
49%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
87%
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

3,794 reviews
All Categories
I transferred to Berkeley in 2015 and graduated in 2017 and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. It was definitely very challenging and a competitive environment. During my first week, I remember feeling like my classmates were all so much smarter and I cried many times because I couldn’t understand the readings I was assigned. The truth is, a lot of students don’t have a solid understanding of the material and the key is study groups. Studying with others helped tremendously so you can bounce off ideas and help you feel like you’re not alone. Another key takeaway is to not give into all the pressure to have internships lined up. A lot of students will have summer internships lined up and you might feel lost but take your time to explore through volunteering and mentorship. Going to the career center and talking to a counseling helped me a lot with career exploration as I had no clue what to do with a sociology degree and led me to a variety of opportunities - just ask for help!
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As a non-traditional student I found this university to be grossly overrated. I transferred from community college in Sacramento, and honestly didn't find the curriculum challenging; my professors at the community college did a far better job of that! It has been disheartening to see the blatant classicism, racism, ageism, elitism and apathy in a place that I thought was "liberal". Their financial aid is a joke-even entering as a first generation, low income single parent that was supposed to have a "fully funded package" that was purported to be sufficient for the 2 years it would take me to complete my degree, I have had to work 3 jobs, and take out loans upwards of 50K! Family housing is infested with ants that come in from the ceiling, light switches and even the bath tub water inlet! Financial aid is often delayed by as much as an entire semester!
Berkeley is just perfect balance between academics and fun! I have amazing professors in all of my classes and they never stress me out too much. It's rigorous enough to get me going but not up to the point where it is not enjoyable. I have plenty of time to destress and go crazy on frat row. Berkeley also provides very unique experiences with a campus ripe with freedom of self-expression. You meet all sorts of people. Also, Berkeley is the number 1 public university in the world so you are definitely getting your money's worth!