UC Berkeley: Acceptance Rate, Cost and Admission

University of California guide · Updated September 29, 2026

UC Berkeley admitted 11.4% of first-year applicants for Fall 2025, or 14,524 of 126,864, according to its Common Data Set. Enrolled first-years averaged a 3.90 high school GPA. Transfer applicants had better odds, at 24%. For new California students in 2026-27, Berkeley’s cost of attendance is $54,674 living in a residence hall, including $18,214 in tuition and fees.

UC Berkeley, officially the University of California, Berkeley, is the oldest campus in the UC system and one of the most selective public universities in the country. Its acceptance rate surprises many families who expect a public university to be easier to get into.

Here are the official numbers: who gets in as a first-year or transfer student, what it costs in 2026-27, how big it is and what it’s known for.

What Is UC Berkeley?

UC Berkeley is the University of California, Berkeley, a public research university founded in 1868. It was the first campus of the University of California system and is often called “Cal.” Common misspellings such as “UC Berkley” and “Berkely” all refer to the same school, whose official website is berkeley.edu.

Undergraduates enroll in one of Berkeley’s colleges, including the College of Letters and Science, the College of Engineering, the College of Chemistry, the Haas School of Business, the College of Environmental Design, the Rausser College of Natural Resources and the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society. Berkeley runs on semesters, unlike most UC campuses, which use quarters.

What Is the UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate?

UC Berkeley admitted 11.4% of first-year applicants for Fall 2025: 126,864 students applied, 14,524 were admitted and 6,687 enrolled, according to its Common Data Set 2025-26.

Here’s what the headline number hides. Transfer applicants, most of them from California community colleges, were admitted at more than twice the first-year rate. And Berkeley’s waitlist offers little hope: 9,102 students were offered a spot and 6,479 accepted one, but Berkeley’s CDS reports just one student admitted from the waitlist.

Admission is also more competitive in some majors, especially in engineering, computer science and data science, business and other programs with limited capacity. Your chances depend on the college and major you choose on the UC application.

How to Get Into UC Berkeley

Berkeley uses the UC application and a holistic review. Its Common Data Set lists course rigor, academic GPA and the application essays as the key factors. Enrolled first-years for Fall 2025 averaged a 3.90 high school GPA.

So what’s the practical takeaway? For first-year applicants, Berkeley is a reach even with a near-perfect GPA. If Berkeley is your goal and you’re open to it, starting at a California community college and transferring can be a realistic path.

How Much Does UC Berkeley Cost?

For new students starting in 2026-27, UC Berkeley’s tuition and fees are $18,214 for California residents. The full cost of attendance is $54,674 living in a residence hall, $56,334 in an on-campus apartment, $49,692 in an off-campus apartment and $39,428 living with relatives. Nonresidents pay an additional $39,270 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition.

Berkeley says financial aid covers tuition and fees for more than a third of its students. UC says most California families earning up to $100,000 receive enough grant and scholarship aid to cover UC tuition under its Blue and Gold commitment, and Cal Grants, Pell Grants and the Middle Class Scholarship can reduce costs further. File the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application by March 2 to stay eligible for state aid.

“Berkeley’s tuition is set by the UC system, but its budget runs higher than many campuses because Bay Area housing is so expensive. An off-campus apartment budget assumes about $1,600 a month for housing and utilities. When you compare Berkeley with other UC campuses, compare total cost of attendance, not tuition alone.”

CalChannel Editorial Team

For how UC tuition works across all campuses, see our UC tuition guide.

How Big Is UC Berkeley?

UC Berkeley had 46,658 students in Fall 2025, including 33,513 undergraduates and 13,145 graduate students, according to its Common Data Set. It awarded 10,349 bachelor’s degrees in the most recent reporting year.

Students persist and graduate at very high rates. About 97% of first-year students returned for a second year. In the most recent graduation cohort, 81% of students finished in four years and 94% within six years.

Where Is UC Berkeley Located?

UC Berkeley is in the city of Berkeley, in the East Bay across the bay from San Francisco. The campus sits at the base of the Berkeley Hills, next to downtown Berkeley and a short walk from the Downtown Berkeley BART station, which connects to San Francisco and Oakland.

Landmarks include Sather Tower, the campus bell tower known as the Campanile, and Sproul Plaza, the center of student life and the site of the 1960s Free Speech Movement. If you need to reach undergraduate admissions, the office is at 110 Sproul Hall, and its phone number listed in the Common Data Set is (510) 642-3175.

Does UC Berkeley Accept AP Credit?

Yes. Like other UC campuses, Berkeley grants credit for qualifying AP exam scores, generally a 3 or higher. How that credit is applied depends on the exam, your score and your college and major: it may count toward general requirements, place you out of introductory courses, or count only as elective units.

AP credit can help you graduate on time or add a second major, but it rarely replaces upper-division courses. Check your college’s current AP policy before planning your schedule around it.

What Is UC Berkeley Known For?

UC Berkeley is consistently ranked among the top public universities in the world. It’s known for strength in engineering, computer science, chemistry, physics, economics, business and the social sciences, and for research tied to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Berkeley faculty and alumni include many Nobel laureates.

The California Golden Bears compete in NCAA Division I and joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024. Berkeley’s football rivalry with Stanford, known as the Big Game, is one of the oldest in the West.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line on UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley is the University of California’s oldest and one of its most selective campuses: 11.4% of first-year applicants were admitted for Fall 2025, compared with 24.2% of transfer applicants. Admission depends on grades, course rigor and the UC application essays, not test scores.

For new California students, plan for about $54,700 a year in a residence hall before aid, and check whether Blue and Gold, Cal Grant or the Middle Class Scholarship applies to you. Apply by November 30, and compare Berkeley with UCLA, UC San Diego and other UC campuses on the same application.