University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley

      

University of California, Berkeley

University of California--Berkeley is a public institution that was founded in 1868. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 25,951, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 1,232 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of California--Berkeley's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 20. Its in-state tuition and fees are $13,844 (2014-15); out-of-state tuition and fees are $25,064 (2014-15).

The University of California—Berkeley, often referred to as Cal, is situated overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Berkeley guarantees two years of housing for incoming freshmen in a number of residence halls throughout campus. There are more than 1,200 student organizations on campus, ranging from political groups to a hang gliding club and everything in between. Berkeley also has a thriving Greek life with more than 55 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.

Berkeley is comprised of 14 schools and colleges, including a number of graduate and professional schools such as the School of Optometry, Graduate School of Journalism and College of Environmental Design. Other graduate programs are the highly ranked Haas School of Business, Graduate School of Education, College of Engineering, School of Law, School of Social Welfare, School of Public Health and Goldman School of Public Policy. Berkeley is well known as a hub of liberal student activity: the Free Speech Movement—a 1964 student protest at Berkeley in response to the administration’s attempt to remove student political groups from campus—gained widespread national attention. Distinguished alumni include former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley and actor John Cho of the "Harold and Kumar" films. Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, scientific director of the Manhattan Project during WWII to develop the atomic bomb, was a physicist and professor at Berkeley.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school): N/A

General Information

School type public, coed college
Year founded 1868
Religious affiliation N/A
Academic calendar semester
Setting city
2013 Endowment $3,472,913,000

When applying to University of California--Berkeley, it's important to note the application deadline is November 30. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due December 31. The application fee at University of California--Berkeley is $70. It is most selective, with an acceptance rate of 17.7 percent.

For more information about the tests, essays, interviews and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.

Selectivity most selective
Fall 2013 acceptance rate 17.7%
Application deadline November 30
SAT/ACT scores must be received by December 31

Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at University of California--Berkeley is 17:1, and the school has 60 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 96.8 percent.

Class sizes
Classes with fewer
than 20 students
(60%)
20-49 (24.2%)
50 or more (15.9%)
15.9%
24.2%
60.0%
Classes with fewer than 20 students (60%)
60.0%
Classes with fewer than 20 students (60%) 59.9937343358
20-49 (24.2%) 24.1541353383
50 or more (15.9%) 15.8521303258
Student-faculty ratio 17:1
4-year graduation rate 72%
Five most popular majors for 2013 graduates
Information not available

Student Life

University of California--Berkeley has a total undergraduate enrollment of 25,951, with a gender distribution of 48.1 percent male students and 51.9 percent female students. University of California--Berkeley is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.

Total enrollment 36,204
Student gender distribution
Male (48.1%)
Female (51.9%)
48.1%
51.9%
Male (48.1%) 48.1291665061
Female (51.9%) 51.8708334939
Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity N/A
Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority N/A
Collegiate athletic association NCAA I

Campus Services

University of California--Berkeley offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc).

Students who have cars on campus N/A
Health insurance offered No

Cost and Financial Aid

At University of California--Berkeley, 47.4 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $23,099.

Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs, or use the U.S. News 529 Finder to choose the best tax-advantaged college investment account for you.

In-state tuition and fees $13,844 (2014-15)
Out-of-state tuition and fees $25,064 (2014-15)
Room and board $15,438 (2014-15)
Financial aid statistics
...
...
...
...
...
Applied for need-based aid (60.8%)
Need was fully met (96.4%)
Received need-based financial aid (47.4%)
Received need-based self-help aid (40.9%)
Average percent of need met (97.5%)
Applied for need-based aid (60.8%) 60.8216275602
Need was fully met (96.4%) 96.3898319119
Received need-based financial aid (47.4%) 47.3868005964
Received need-based self-help aid (40.9%) 40.9165816527
Average percent of need met (97.5%) 97.5