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← University explorer
- World ranking
- =20QS 2027Source
- Tuition · international
- $42,611per year · 2023
- Acceptance rate
- 11%2024
About University of California-Berkeley
UC Berkeley was established by the California Legislature in 1868, when the private College of California merged with a planned state land-grant college, and it moved to its Berkeley site in 1873. It is the oldest campus of the University of California system. Its researchers are linked to the discovery of many chemical elements, and it manages Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
At a glance
- Founded
- 1868
- Type
- Public
- Campus
- Urban
Berkeley, United States37.872, -122.273
Open on mapRankings
- QSQS=20World · 2027Source
- THETHE#9World · 2026Source
- WebometricsWebometrics#8World · 2026United States #7Source
- CWURCWUR#12World · 2026United States #10Source
- ARWUARWU#5World · 2026Source
- NCSES HERDNCSES HERD#32United States and outlying areas · Total R&D expenditures · 2024Source
- URAPURAP#61World · 2025United States #16Source
Admissions & how to apply
Application routeUC Application (shared University of California application)Source
- Check the entry requirements for your course and qualifications.
- Meet the English requirement (Duolingo 115).
- Apply through UC Application (shared University of California application).
- Pay the application fee ($80).
English test waiver English proficiency tests are not required when satisfied through qualifying alternatives, including 3+ years of English language of instruction; exams are one route. Source
Costs & aid
International tuition$42,611per year · 2023
- Fees$3,016
- Room & board2023$22,692
US net price$14,538
What US families pay after grants, by household income. International students usually pay the full price.
SourceFinancial aid Open to international students · Merit scholarships; limited need-based scholarship programmes — International students are ineligible for need-based University gift aid generally, but the university lists institutional scholarships for international undergraduates, including merit and select need-based awards. Source
Programmes
…
Campus & media
Outcomes
- Admit rate
- 11%
- Graduate in 4 years
- 81.3%
- Graduate in 6 years
- 93.7%
- Return after year one
- 96.8%
- Pell grant students
- 31.9%
- Students with federal loans
- 16.5%
- Median debt
- $12,416
Median earnings after starting
Student body
US government and university data. Figures describe past students, not your own chances. Source
Guides for applying to United States
- Entering Senior Year: What I Wish I Knew as a First-YearHarvard College · Student Voices
- How To Write A College EssayMIT Admissions
- How Studying Abroad Influenced My Career GoalsHarvard College · Student Voices
- Advice For Crafting Your Supplemental EssayJohns Hopkins Undergraduate Admissions · Hopkins Insider