UC Berkeley: the complete school report for parents

What’s new at UC Berkeley for Fall 2026

Applications hit a record and admit numbers came down slightly. More than 159,000 students applied for a first-year or transfer seat in the fall 2026 class, with first-year applications up 5% and transfer applications up a record 12%. Berkeley offered admission to 13,982 first-year students, about 500 fewer than the previous year, and 5,284 transfer students, about 350 fewer. Admitted first-years average a 3.93 unweighted GPA and a 4.52 weighted GPA, and 97% carry a weighted GPA of at least 4.0. Twenty-three percent are first-generation, about one in four are underrepresented minority students, and roughly 10% are international students from more than 72 countries. Among admitted transfers the average GPA is 3.8 and 93% come from California community colleges. First-year decisions were released on 26 March and transfer decisions on 17 April.

Source: UC Berkeley offers nearly 19,000 students admission to fall 2026 class (Berkeley News, 29 July 2026)

What does UC Berkeley actually weigh in admissions?

UC Berkeley rates 3 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, the essay. It does not consider 6 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is UC Berkeley's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

Does UC Berkeley really look at SAT and ACT scores?

No. UC Berkeley does not read SAT or ACT scores, even if you submit them. That is worth stating plainly, because its own Common Data Set appears to say two things at once: section C7 rates standardized test scores “Considered”, while section C8 records SAT and ACT scores as “Not considered”.

Both are true. C8 governs the SAT and ACT a student would actually sit, and it is unambiguous: those scores are not read. The C7 mark covers other tests the university does take into account. For a family deciding whether to spend money on test preparation for UC Berkeley, the answer is no.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

90% of enrolled students had a 3.75 GPA or above. The average was 3.9 on a 4 scale, reported for 100% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

What is the UC Berkeley waitlist really like?

UC Berkeley offered a place on its waiting list to 9,102 applicants and 6,479 accepted one. None of them were admitted. A waitlist place here should be treated as a decline, not as a live option to hold out for.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

UC Berkeley admitted 24.2% of 23,401 transfer applicants, against 11.5% of first-year applicants. For a student who does not get in at eighteen, the transfer route is a genuinely wider door and worth planning for deliberately. The minimum college GPA considered is 2.4.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

UC Berkeley offers neither Early Decision nor Early Action, so there is no early round to strategize about and every applicant is read in one pool.

What does my child need to take in high school?

UC Berkeley requires 15 academic units and recommends 18. A college-preparatory program is required. A GED is accepted.

What will UC Berkeley actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $13,481 a year at UC Berkeley after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $14,202. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 88.4% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 233 merit awards averaging $16,030 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

What families at each income level actually paid:

26% of UC Berkeley graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $18,653 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $138 a month in repayment. UC Berkeley’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from UC Berkeley pay off?

Graduates earn a median $92,446 ten years after entering, and $74,919 at six years. 86% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 80% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:

A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.

$240,462 to $38,182, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at UC Berkeley:

College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.

Will my child actually graduate?

97% of first-years return for a second year. 81% graduate within four years and 94% within six (Fall 2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 89.8% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 94.9% of everyone else, a gap of 5.1 points.

How big are the classes?

51% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 12% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 18:1, and 70% of faculty are full-time. Both are true at once: 12% of sections seat 100 or more, and those are the introductory lectures. Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.

What is life at UC Berkeley like?

33,513 undergraduates, 19.4% of first-years from out of state. 90% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 30% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 3.2% of men join a fraternity and 7.1% of women a sorority. 35% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $77,601.

Entering first-year students in 2026-27 get a two-year housing guarantee and transfer students a one-year guarantee. Both are conditional: you must list "any room size, any location" among your five housing preferences, apply by 2 May, and accept the offer by the date on it. Continuing students reapply between 1 and 15 February. Berkeley has added 2,400 beds since 2018 with two more undergraduate complexes due by 2028.

Source: Housing Guarantee, UC Berkeley Housing

How is UC Berkeley ranked, and how strong is the alumni network?

UC Berkeley is ranked #1 for public universities in the U.S. News Best Colleges 2026. Its full set of published positions, including the ones that are less flattering:

Shown in full, including the less flattering ones.

Source: University of California: UC is the best public university in the 2026 U.S. News rankings

What this means for your student

• Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten. UC Berkeley recommends 18 academic units.
• 90% of enrolled students are at a 3.75 GPA or above, averaging 3.9. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• Do not spend money on test preparation for UC Berkeley: scores are not read even if you send them, despite what its C7 grid appears to say.
• Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
• Treat a waitlist place here as a decline: 6,479 students waited and none were admitted.
• If the first-year answer is no, the transfer route is genuinely wider here and worth planning for from the first semester of college.
• Its highest-earning major returns $240,462 five years out against $38,182 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about UC Berkeley