University of California guide · By CalChannel Editorial Team · Updated October 1, 2026
UC Berkeley tuition and fees are $18,214 for new California students in 2026-27, and the full cost of attendance in a residence hall is $54,674 before aid. Getting in is the harder part: Berkeley admitted 10.5% of first-year applicants for Fall 2026, or 13,967 of 133,154, according to the University of California, and 20% of transfer applicants.
UC Berkeley, the University of California’s oldest campus, is two things at once: a public university with in-state tuition and one of the most selective schools in the country. U.S. News ranks it tied for No. 1 among public universities for 2027. This guide covers what Berkeley really costs, then what it takes to be admitted as a first-year or transfer student.
| Fact | UC Berkeley |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, new California residents (2026-27) | $18,214 |
| Nonresident supplemental tuition | $39,270 |
| Cost of attendance, residence hall (2026-27) | $54,674 residents; $93,944 nonresidents |
| First-year admit rate | 10.5% (Fall 2026); 11.4% (Fall 2025) |
| GPA of admitted first-years, Fall 2026 (middle 50%) | 4.16 to 4.28 |
| Transfer admit rate | 20% (Fall 2026); 24.2% (Fall 2025) |
| Students (Fall 2025) | 46,658 total; 33,513 undergraduates |
| U.S. News 2027 | No. 1 public (tie with UCLA); No. 20 National Universities (tie) |
Sources: UC Berkeley Financial Aid and Scholarships; University of California admit data for Fall 2026; UC Berkeley Common Data Set 2025-26; University of California summary of U.S. News 2027 rankings.
In This Article
UC Berkeley Tuition and Fees
For new undergraduates starting in 2026-27, UC Berkeley tuition and fees are $18,214 a year for California residents. That figure combines UC systemwide tuition and the student services fee with Berkeley’s campus fees. Out-of-state and international students pay the same $18,214 plus $39,270 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition, or $57,484 a year in tuition and fees.
Two rules shape what you’ll actually pay over four years:
- Tuition is locked in: under the UC Tuition Stability Plan, systemwide tuition for your entering class stays the same for up to six years. Campus fees and housing can still rise.
- Residency is decided once: California residency for tuition purposes is set by the campus registrar, and nonresidents rarely qualify for in-state rates later as undergraduates.
UC Berkeley Cost of Attendance
UC Berkeley tuition is only about a third of the total budget. The full 2026-27 cost of attendance for a new California resident is $54,674 in a residence hall, $56,334 in an on-campus apartment, $49,692 in an off-campus apartment and $39,428 living with relatives.
| UC Berkeley, new students 2026-27 (California residents) | Residence hall | On-campus apartment | Off-campus apartment | With relatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $18,214 | $18,214 | $18,214 | $18,214 |
| University housing | $16,640 | $20,500 | n/a | n/a |
| Meal plan | $7,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Student health insurance (can be waived) | $5,066 | $5,066 | $5,066 | $5,066 |
| Other estimated expenses (housing, food, books, transportation) | $7,754 | $12,554 | $26,412 | $16,148 |
| Total, California residents | $54,674 | $56,334 | $49,692 | $39,428 |
Source: UC Berkeley Financial Aid and Scholarships, Student Budgets (Cost of Attendance), new students starting in 2026-27. Nonresidents add $39,270.
Two lines deserve attention. The $5,066 student health insurance charge is higher than at most UC campuses, and it can be waived if you have comparable coverage, often through a parent’s plan. And Bay Area housing is expensive: the off-campus budget assumes about $1,600 a month for housing and utilities.
Paying for Berkeley With Financial Aid
Berkeley says financial aid covers tuition and fees for more than a third of its students. The main programs for California families are:
- Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan: most California families earning up to $100,000 receive enough grant and scholarship aid to cover UC tuition
- Cal Grant: covers UC systemwide tuition for eligible students
- Federal Pell Grant: for students with the greatest financial need
- Middle Class Scholarship: helps families whose income is too high for Cal Grant
You’re considered for all of them by filing the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application by March 2. For a side-by-side look at UC campus costs, see our UC tuition guide.
Our take: Compare Berkeley offers by total cost of attendance after grants, not by UC Berkeley tuition alone. Tuition is the same across UC campuses, but Berkeley’s housing and insurance push its budget above most of them, so a slightly larger grant elsewhere can matter less than it looks.
UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate
UC Berkeley admitted 10.5% of first-year applicants for Fall 2026: 133,154 applied and 13,967 were admitted, according to admit data published by the University of California. The middle 50% of admits had high school GPAs between 4.16 and 4.28. For Fall 2025, Berkeley admitted 11.4%, or 14,524 of 126,864, and 6,687 enrolled, according to its Common Data Set.
| UC Berkeley admission | Applicants | Admits | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-year, Fall 2026 | 133,154 | 13,967 | 10.5% |
| First-year, Fall 2025 | 126,864 | 14,524 | 11.4% |
| Transfer, Fall 2026 | 26,210 | 5,248 | 20.0% |
| Transfer, Fall 2025 | 23,401 | 5,658 | 24.2% |
Sources: University of California, UC Berkeley first-year and transfer admit data (Fall 2026); UC Berkeley Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025).
Berkeley got harder to get into for Fall 2026: applications rose by more than 6,000 while admits fell. Three more details matter:
- Major matters: engineering, computer science, data science and business are more competitive than the campus average, and you apply to a specific college
- The waitlist rarely moves: for Fall 2025, 6,479 students accepted a waitlist spot and Berkeley’s Common Data Set reports one admitted from it
- Standard UC rules apply: no SAT or ACT, an $80 fee per campus for domestic applicants ($95 international), and a November 30 deadline with no early action or early decision
Transferring to UC Berkeley
For many Californians, transfer is the more realistic route. Berkeley admitted 20% of transfer applicants for Fall 2026, or 5,248 of 26,210, and 93.3% of admitted transfers came from California community colleges. That’s roughly double the first-year admit rate.
Transfer applicants need at least a 2.4 college GPA, completed major preparation and no more than 70 transferable semester units from community college, though admitted students usually have far higher GPAs. Berkeley doesn’t participate in the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee, so strong grades and early major prep are essential. Many Berkeley transfers start at Bay Area colleges such as Diablo Valley College; see our California community colleges guide for more.
Campus, Housing and Location
UC Berkeley was founded in 1868 as the first campus of the University of California, which is why it’s often called simply “Cal.” It sits in the city of Berkeley, in the East Bay across from San Francisco, at the foot of the Berkeley Hills and a short walk from the Downtown Berkeley BART station.
Landmarks include Sather Tower, known as the Campanile, and Sproul Plaza, the home of the 1960s Free Speech Movement. Berkeley runs on semesters and enrolled 46,658 students in Fall 2025, including 33,513 undergraduates. About 97% of first-years return for a second year, 81% of the most recent cohort graduated in four years and 94% within six.
Berkeley is one of the UC campuses that offers new students a two-year housing guarantee, which matters in one of the country’s most expensive rental markets. The California Golden Bears compete in NCAA Division I in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the Big Game against Stanford is one of the oldest rivalries in the West.
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 applies depends on the exam, your score and your college: it may satisfy general requirements, place you out of introductory courses or count only as elective units. AP credit can help you graduate on time, which also saves a semester of costs, but it rarely replaces upper-division courses.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is UC Berkeley tuition?
For new California residents in 2026-27, UC Berkeley tuition and fees are $18,214. Nonresidents add $39,270 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition, for $57,484 in tuition and fees.
What is the total cost to attend UC Berkeley?
For new California students in 2026-27, the cost of attendance is $54,674 in a residence hall and $39,428 living with relatives, before financial aid.
What is the UC Berkeley acceptance rate?
UC Berkeley admitted 10.5% of first-year applicants for Fall 2026, or 13,967 of 133,154, according to the University of California. The Fall 2025 rate was 11.4%.
What GPA do you need for UC Berkeley?
There’s no cutoff above UC minimums, but the middle 50% of Fall 2026 admits had high school GPAs between 4.16 and 4.28.
Is it easier to transfer to UC Berkeley?
Yes. Berkeley admitted 20% of transfer applicants for Fall 2026, about double the first-year rate, and most admitted transfers came from California community colleges.
Is “UC Berkley” the same school?
Yes. “UC Berkley” and “Berkely” are common misspellings of UC Berkeley, whose official website is berkeley.edu.
The Bottom Line on UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley tuition and fees are $18,214 for new California residents in 2026-27, and the full cost in a residence hall is about $54,700 before aid. Admission is the bigger hurdle: 10.5% of first-year applicants and 20% of transfer applicants were admitted for Fall 2026.
File the FAFSA or Dream Act Application by March 2, apply by November 30, and compare Berkeley with UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Davis and other UC campuses on the same application.
Sources
- UC Berkeley Financial Aid and Scholarships. “Student Budgets (Cost of Attendance).” berkeley.edu.
- UC Berkeley Office of the Registrar. “Fee Schedule.” berkeley.edu.
- University of California. “Berkeley: First-Year Admit Data” and “Transfer Admit Data.” Fall 2026.
- UC Berkeley Office of Planning and Analysis. “Common Data Set 2025-26.” berkeley.edu.
- University of California. “U.S. News 2027 Best Colleges Rankings.” universityofcalifornia.edu.
- University of California. “Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan.” universityofcalifornia.edu.
CalChannel Editorial Team California college guides
The CalChannel editorial team researches and writes guides to California colleges, admissions and financial aid. We build our college profiles and aid guides from colleges’ own published data, federal IPEDS data and the California Student Aid Commission. Read our editorial policy.
