University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California · Public, a midsize city · 33,068 undergraduates
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Is it hard to get into Berkeley?
The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.
Acceptance rate
11%
125,910 applied
SAT, middle half
Not published
Not used for admission
ACT, middle half
Not published
Not used for admission
Test scores this year
Not used at all
45% of admitted students enrolled
- What they look at
- High school GPARequired
- Courses takenRequired
- College-prep programConsidered
- RecommendationsConsidered
- EssayRequired
How much does Berkeley cost?
Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.
Tuition and fees, California residents
$17,198
Tuition and fees, out of state
$54,800
A full year, sticker price
$47,842
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$14,538
Students who got federal aid
What a year cost, by family income
| Family income | Average paid after grants |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $5,110 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $5,391 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $9,606 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $16,064 |
| Over $110,000 | $37,451 |
- Room and board on campus
- $24,858 a year; $20,021 off campus
- Books and supplies
- $1,442 a year
- The school's own grants
- 46% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $14,826
Tuition over the years
Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.
How much do Berkeley students borrow?
Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.
Typical debt at graduation
$12,416
About $141 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
16.5%
Get a Pell Grant
31.9%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
5.1%
What do Berkeley graduates earn?
Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.
Six years after starting
$79,931
Ten years after starting
$100,212
Middle half: $64,268 to $169,148
Best-paid program, five years out
$228,465
Computer Science
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$48,518
Fine and Studio Arts
Do Berkeley students finish?
Of the students who started full time, first time.
Back for second year
96.8%
Graduate in six years
93.7%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
94% graduated
4% transferred, 0% still enrolled
Who goes to Berkeley?
Women
55.8%
First in their family at college
34.6%
Part-time
4.5%
Students per teacher
18
- Background
- White 20%, Hispanic 22%, Black 2%, Asian 35%, Two or more 7%, International 10%
- Housing
- Campus housing, 9,899 beds
What do Berkeley graduates earn, by program?
Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.
Computer science
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 1,578 | $95,731 | Hidden | $12,538 |
| Computer Science | 1,884 | $161,143 | $228,465 | $13,289 |
Engineering
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Engineering | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 237 | $74,075 | $125,731 | $13,180 |
| Chemical Engineering | 269 | $89,950 | $122,455 | $16,167 |
| Civil Engineering | 215 | $84,461 | $115,685 | $11,634 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 990 | $154,713 | $224,040 | $13,548 |
| Engineering Physics | 23 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering Science | 40 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering, Other | 21 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 23 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Manufacturing Engineering | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mechanical Engineering | 401 | $95,340 | $121,029 | $11,175 |
| Nuclear Engineering | 26 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Operations Research | 120 | $95,812 | Hidden | $10,479 |
Business and commerce
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 853 | $94,811 | $159,620 | $10,656 |
Health sciences and kinesiology
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Health | 388 | $57,363 | $95,133 | $11,000 |
Life sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology, General | 328 | $39,853 | $81,134 | $12,000 |
| Botany/Plant Biology | 43 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 1,508 | $49,561 | $93,159 | $11,000 |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Forestry | 13 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 138 | Hidden | Hidden | $14,935 |
| Natural Resources and Conservation, Other | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 915 | $56,111 | $81,665 | $12,000 |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Math and physical sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics | 465 | $85,411 | $137,853 | $13,000 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 97 | $43,091 | $89,714 | $18,600 |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | 2 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Chemistry | 264 | $57,704 | $98,220 | $11,137 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 44 | Hidden | $88,471 | Hidden |
| Materials Sciences | 56 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mathematics | 198 | $59,448 | $101,998 | $13,955 |
| Physical Sciences, General | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Physics | 222 | Hidden | $115,578 | $13,911 |
| Statistics | 236 | $84,849 | $156,494 | $15,533 |
Arts and humanities
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 4 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 43 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| English Language and Literature, General | 463 | $37,602 | $60,604 | $12,500 |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other | 5 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 6 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| History | 238 | $43,803 | $67,764 | $12,000 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 165 | $28,857 | $85,634 | $13,756 |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 13 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Philosophy | 189 | $37,999 | $52,953 | $12,208 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 81 | $57,788 | $86,050 | $12,136 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 124 | $48,575 | $73,231 | $7,970 |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 6 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Fine and performing arts
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dance | 18 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 66 | $43,297 | $63,236 | $9,273 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 213 | $35,898 | $68,814 | $12,979 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 245 | $34,406 | $48,518 | $11,800 |
| Music | 100 | $49,985 | Hidden | $8,141 |
Architecture and design
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | 215 | $60,494 | $87,387 | $13,156 |
| Environmental Design | 49 | $56,599 | Hidden | Hidden |
| Landscape Architecture | 38 | $50,801 | Hidden | Hidden |
General arts and science (major chosen later)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classical and Ancient Studies | 42 | Hidden | Hidden | $12,500 |
| Cognitive Science | 502 | $62,757 | $151,004 | $13,000 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 138 | $55,375 | Hidden | $14,923 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 147 | $56,541 | $79,885 | $15,000 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 199 | $42,425 | $87,149 | $11,677 |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | 0 | Hidden | $79,776 | Hidden |
Compare Berkeley with other universities
Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with University of California, Berkeley. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.
Social sciences