University of California, Berkeley
#15 in National Universities (tie)
Overview
University of California, Berkeley is a public institution that was founded in 1868. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 32,831 (fall 2022), its setting is city, and the campus size is 1,232 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of California, Berkeley's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #15. Its in-state tuition and fees are $15,891; out-of-state tuition and fees are $48,465.
The University of California, Berkeley, often referred to as Cal, is situated overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Typically, 95% or more of incoming freshmen at Berkeley choose to live on campus. There are more than 1,000 student organizations, ranging from political groups to a hang gliding club and everything in between. Berkeley also has a thriving Greek life with dozens of fraternity and sorority chapters. The California Golden Bears, Berkeley’s athletic teams, compete in the Pac-12 Conference and are known for their traditional arch rivalry with Stanford University.
Berkeley has 14 schools and colleges, including a number of graduate and professional schools, such as the School of Optometry and the Graduate School of Journalism. Other graduate programs offered include those in the highly ranked Haas School of Business, Graduate School of Education, College of Engineering and School of Law.
Berkeley is well known as a hub of liberal student activism: The Free Speech Movement – a 1964 student protest at Berkeley in response to the administration’s ban on political activity – gained widespread attention. Notable alumni include former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley, and actor John Cho, known for his role in the "Harold and Kumar" films. Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, who worked on the development of the atomic bomb as scientific director of the Manhattan Project during World War II, was a professor at Berkeley.
University of California, Berkeley is a public institution that was founded in 1868. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 32,831 (fall 2022), its setting is city, and the campus size is 1,232 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of California, Berkeley's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #15. Its in-state tuition and fees are $15,891; out-of-state tuition and fees are $48,465.
The University of California, Berkeley, often referred to as Cal, is situated overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Typically, 95% or more of incoming freshmen at Berkeley choose to live on campus. There are more than 1,000 student organizations, ranging from political groups to a hang gliding club and everything in between. Berkeley also has a thriving Greek life with dozens of fraternity and sorority chapters. The California Golden Bears, Berkeley’s athletic teams, compete in the Pac-12 Conference and are known for their traditional arch rivalry with Stanford University.
Berkeley has 14 schools and colleges, including a number of graduate and professional schools, such as the School of Optometry and the Graduate School of Journalism. Other graduate programs offered include those in the highly ranked Haas School of Business, Graduate School of Education, College of Engineering and School of Law.
Berkeley is well known as a hub of liberal student activism: The Free Speech Movement – a 1964 student protest at Berkeley in response to the administration’s ban on political activity – gained widespread attention. Notable alumni include former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley, and actor John Cho, known for his role in the "Harold and Kumar" films. Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, who worked on the development of the atomic bomb as scientific director of the Manhattan Project during World War II, was a professor at Berkeley.
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At-a-Glance
Setting
City
In-state tuition and fees
$15,891
Undergraduate Enrollment
32,831
Acceptance Rate
11%
2024 Rankings
Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Read more about how we rank schools.
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Admissions
Cost
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$48,465
In-State Tuition & Fees
$15,891
Room & Board
$22,402(2023-24)
Average Need-Based Aid Package
$31,559
$15,240
$15,240
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$48,465
In-State Tuition & Fees
$15,891
Room & Board
$22,402(2023-24)
Average Need-Based Aid Package
$31,559
*Average in-state cost after aid
Academics
82%
19:1
50%
Popular Majors
MAJOR
% OF GRADUATES
ALUMNI STARTING SALARY
Social Sciences
18%
N/A
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
15%
N/A
Engineering
11%
N/A
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
10%
N/A
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
5%
N/A
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* In cases where salary data at the specific major level is unavailable, a general salary for the major category is displayed.
Faculty Research Impact
Bibliometric Rank
3
Bibliometrics is the statistical analyses of publications and citations for the purpose of measuring faculty research impact.Publications Cited in Top 25% of Journals
75%
Publications Cited in Top 5% of Journals
30%
Total Papers published between 2018-2022
48,680
Citations Per Publication
20:1
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Students
32,831
Graduate Enrollment
12,914
Total Enrollment
45,745
Full-Time Degree-Seeking Students
30,568
Student Diversity
Gender Distribution
Ethnic Diversity
63%
Minority Enrollment
63%
Minority Enrollment
35%
Asian
20%
Hispanic
20%
White
13%
International
6%
Two or more races
3%
Unknown
2%
Black
Not Specified is not included in this breakdown due to an enrollment of 0%.
Campus Life
Housing and Dorms
Types of campus housing available:
Student Activities
28+
Sports Teams
N/A
Fraternities
N/A
Sororities
After College
Graduation Rate
82%
Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)
28%
Average Debt at Graduation
$16,419
$54,348
$54,348
Graduation Rate
82%
Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)
28%
Average Debt at Graduation
$16,419
Reviews & Ratings
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Undergraduate data are based on the 2022 school year.
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