Admissions

Thank you for your interest in UC Berkeley, the world’s premier public university. Our staff is privileged to read your application, and all applications are read in their entirety - we hug your application! Our best advice? Start working on your application early.

• Freshmen
• Transfer Students
• International Students
• Counselors & Colleagues

If you’re applying this year, familiarize yourself with admission requirements, including tests and course requirements, as soon as possible. Also, consider that we look for sustained academic excellence and demonstrated leadership, among other qualities.

• Dates & Deadlines
• Basic Admission Requirements
• The Personal Statement

Because we’re looking for students who are likely to succeed at UC Berkeley, grades matter but that is not all. We’re looking for students who are entrepreneurial, adventurous, and engaged in life. We’re also looking for students who are self-motivated, self-aware, and self-possessed—without being self-centered. And, yes, they’re smart.

• Freshman Academic Performance
• Transfer Academic Performance
• Requirements for International Students
• How Berkeley Selects Students
• Student Profile

We want to hear your story, in
your voice.
Our strongest applications paint a vivid and genuine picture
of unique individuals."

- Amy W. Jarich, Director, Undergraduate Admissions

With more than 100 undergraduate majors and dozens of academic opportunities, you connect with a tradition of excellence at Berkeley. And you’ll study among the best students in the world, with the most distinguished faculty.

• Colleges & Schools
• Student Profile
• Research Opportunities
• Study Abroad
• How Berkeley Ranks

Choosing a major is a personal choice; you may start in one direction and end up in another. While you may apply as an “Undeclared” or “Undeclared, Engineering,” we recommend that you apply in your major of choice if you know what you wish to study. If you are undecided, meet with an adviser. Or, you may design your own major!

• Majors & Minors
• Academic Support

We want you to excel, and we foster the supportive environment you need to achieve your goals. That’s why our retention rate for first-year undergraduates is 97 percent! Our best advice? Reach out to your professors and peers through any of our numerous support programs.

• Students with a Disability
• Health & Safety
• Clubs & Organizations

Choosing courses you enjoy may
not lower the difficulty, but it will make it much easier to devote yourself to the class."

– Student Stephanie C.

UC Berkeley provides more than a diploma - we provide a transformational college experience and a lifelong place in our extended Golden Bear family. Our admission program is need-blind: Your financial status will not affect the admission decision.

• Cost of Attendance
• How to Apply for Financial Aid
• Jobs & Careers
• Value of a Berkeley Education

Berkeley offers grants, scholarships, loans, and federal work-study. Many students find scholarships once they come to campus. We are proud that 65 percent of all undergraduates receive some form of financial aid.

• Types of Aid

You won’t be alone; 17 percent of our admits are first-generation college-going students. Our Financial Aid staff will work with you to support you in your college aspirations.

• Residency Requirements

65 percent of our undergraduates receive some form of financial aid.
40 percent of our undergraduates pay no tuition."

– Anne M. De Luca, Associate Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs

What does it mean to “Be Berkeley?” It means you add up to more than a number. You set the pace with your colleagues and community, and set the bar for giving back. You stand up - and you stand out! And when you join the Golden Bear community, you connect with a long tradition of academic excellence and community pride. Go Bears!

• Be Spirited
• Be Involved
• Be Innovative
• Be Safe
• Be Competitive

A good place for incoming freshmen is one of our on-campus housing options. Freshmen admitted to the fall semester receive a two-year housing guarantee, and in the past few years, 95% or more of entering freshmen live in university housing. Berkeley also offers options suited for transfer students and students with families.

• Housing at Cal
• Who's Here

If there’s one quality about Berkeley that stands out, it’s choice! Our best advice? Get out and about. Talk to other students and your advisers. Go to events and meetings. And don’t forget to reach out to your professors; we have some of the most accessible faculty members at a top-tier university.

• Be Brilliant
• Be Engaged
• Be Curious

Berkeley is a place where you not only learn inside the classroom with outstanding professors and graduate student instructors, but also in daily life here (on campus)."

– Student Josh E.

Choosing a college is a big step. You want to be sure you love your home for the next four years. Our best advice? Come to Cal. Once you step foot on campus and feel the spirit, you’ll understand all of the amazing opportunities our campus has to offer.

• Plan Your Visit
• Getting Around
• Connect with Admissions

Although visiting is the ideal way to experience a campus, we realize some students may need to learn about UC Berkeley from a distance. Don’t worry: You can discover Berkeley through the website, online events, our student blog, and social media.

• Sign Up for Email
• Attend an Online Event
• Follow Us

I decided to come to Cal because it is the world’s best public university and is located in an amazingly ideal setting."

– 2012 University Medalist, Eric Olliff