Overview

The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university located in Berkeley, California. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkeley, it is the state's first land-grant university and the founding campus of the University of California system. 

The University of California was established through the Organic Act, signed on March 23, 1868 by Governor Henry H. Haight, which created a completely new institution — merging the academic vision of the private College of California with federal land-grant funding secured under President Lincoln's Morrill Act of 1862. 

An internationally renowned research and teaching university, Berkeley encourages interdisciplinary, well-rounded education. Close to 30% of freshmen are the first in their families to attend college. Its 1,232-acre campus is located in Berkeley, about 15 miles from San Francisco. 

Berkeley has an enrollment of more than 45,000 students and is organised around fifteen schools of study on the same campus, including the College of Chemistry, the College of Engineering, the College of Letters and Science, and the Haas School of Business. 

Berkeley is one of the 14 founding members of the Association of American Universities and is home to world-renowned research institutes, including the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and the Space Sciences Laboratory. Berkeley alumni, faculty, and researchers include 99 Nobel laureates, 23 Turing Award winners, and 14 Pulitzer Prize winners. 

Faculty member J. Robert Oppenheimer led the Manhattan Project to create the first atomic bomb, while Berkeley's Nobel laureate Ernest Lawrence invented the cyclotron — through which UC Berkeley scientists and researchers discovered 16 chemical elements of the periodic table. 

Berkeley's alumni include 34 Pulitzer Prize winners, 25 living billionaire alumni, 22 cabinet members, 68 recipients of the National Medal of Science, 190 recipients of the MacArthur Fellowship, and 144 members of the National Academy of Sciences. Notable alumni include Janet Yellen (US Secretary of the Treasury and Federal Reserve Chair), Chief Justice Earl Warren, and tech leaders including the CEOs of Adobe, Intel, and Vodafone. 

Berkeley's athletic teams, the California Golden Bears, have won 107 national championships, 196 individual national titles, and 223 Olympic medals (including 121 gold). 

Intakes

UC Berkeley offers admissions for international students in two intakes — Fall and Spring — every year. 

• Fall Intake (August/September) — Primary intake; open to all undergraduate and most graduate programs
• Spring Intake (January) — Available for select graduate programs

Undergraduate Application Deadlines: Applications for undergraduate programs are available beginning October 1. All applications must be submitted by December 2. Berkeley does not offer early admission or early decision. 

Graduate Application Deadlines: Graduate program deadlines vary by department. Most programs accept applications between October and December for Fall intake. MBA applications are available in rounds — Round 3 applications are typically available until late March.

Note: Polygon Campus primarily assists with graduate-level admissions. Students are encouraged to confirm specific intake availability and deadlines with their chosen Berkeley school or department.

Top Courses

Berkeley is organised around fifteen schools and colleges comprising 180 departments and 80 interdisciplinary units, offering over 350 degree programs.  Berkeley offers more than 120 graduate programs including master's, professional, and doctoral programs. 

Key schools and flagship programs include:

• Haas School of Business — Full-time MBA, Evening & Weekend MBA, MBA for Executives, MS in Business Analytics, MS in Financial Engineering (MFE)
• College of Engineering — MS/PhD in EECS, MEng in Computer Science, MS in Civil Engineering, MS in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research
• School of Information (I School) — Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS), Master of Information Management & Systems (MIMS)
• Berkeley School of Law — JD, LLM, SJD, JD-MBA
• School of Public Health — MPH, DrPH, PhD in Epidemiology, Environmental Health Sciences
• Goldman School of Public Policy — Master in Public Policy (MPP), PhD in Public Policy
• College of Natural Resources — MS/PhD in Agricultural & Resource Economics, Environmental Science
• College of Letters & Science — MA/PhD in Economics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Sociology
• College of Environmental Design — M.Arch, MLA, MCP, MUD

Berkeley's Computer Science program is ranked #2 in the US by US News 2025 rankings. Berkeley's economics program is ranked one of the best in the world.

Cost of Studying at University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

As a public university, UC Berkeley charges different tuition rates for California residents and non-residents/international students.

UC Berkeley undergraduate tuition and fees for 2024–25 are $16,347 for California in-state students and $50,547 for out-of-state and international students. Living expenses are estimated at $23,750 per year. Graduate tuition for 2024–25 is $15,866 for in-state and $30,968 for out-of-state students.

The total cost of attendance (COA) for 2024–25 is $47,289 for in-state students and $79,177 for out-of-state/international students, including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses. Law school tuition is $66,336 for in-state and $79,954 for out-of-state. 

Note: Figures are approximate based on 2024–25 data. Please refer to Berkeley's official website (financialaid.berkeley.edu) for the most current fee structure.

Scholarships

UC Berkeley awards more than $1 billion in financial aid annually. Thirty-eight percent of students pay nothing out of pocket for tuition due to grants and scholarships, and around two-thirds of students receive some form of financial aid.

Among enrolled students, 60% receive grants or scholarships, with an average aid amount of $25,091 per student. After aid, the net price for California residents averages $94,474 over four years. 

However, it is important for international students to note: International students are generally ineligible for federal and state need-based financial aid. Applications to Berkeley are need-blind, but international students will need to show proof of sufficient funds for their visa application. Students can apply for the many scholarships offered by private organisations. 

Key funding opportunities for international students include:

• Haas Fellowship Program — Merit and need-based fellowships for MBA students; highly competitive
• Berkeley Graduate Division Fellowships — Available for PhD students; typically cover full tuition plus a living stipend
• Berkeley International Office (BIO) Scholarships — Small grants available to international students with demonstrated need
• Fulbright-Nehru Scholarship — External scholarship for Indian students; accepted at UCB
• Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarship — For Indian students; accepted at UC Berkeley
• External Scholarships — Tata Trusts, Aga Khan Foundation, and DAAD scholarships are all accepted

Note: International students must apply for aid and submit financial documentation at the time of application. It is strongly recommended to explore external scholarships well in advance.

Admissions

The University of California, Berkeley acceptance rate is approximately 11–14%, making it one of the most selective public universities in the United States and globally. 

UC Berkeley follows a holistic, test-free admissions process for undergraduates. SAT and ACT scores are not used in admissions decisions.

For Graduate Programs:

A satisfactory scholastic average — usually a minimum GPA of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale — is required, along with sufficient undergraduate training in the chosen field. Applicants must hold, or expect to hold, a bachelor's degree prior to the start of classes from a recognised institution. 

UC Berkeley Graduate Division requires applicants from non-English-speaking countries to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. The minimum required TOEFL score is 90 (iBT). For IELTS, a minimum band of 7.0 is required. Note: UC Berkeley Graduate Division does NOT accept Duolingo for graduate admissions. 

• Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution
• GPA of 3.0 minimum (3.5+ strongly recommended for competitive programs)
• TOEFL iBT: 90+ (Berkeley prefers 100) / IELTS: 7.0+
• GRE / GMAT (varies by program; some programs have waived GRE)
• 3 Letters of Recommendation
• Statement of Purpose
• CV / Résumé
• Official transcripts with certified English translations

For Undergraduate Programs:

To be considered for undergraduate admission, international applicants must earn a certificate of completion qualifying for university admission in their home country. For English proficiency, a TOEFL score of minimum 80 (Berkeley prefers 100) or IELTS minimum 6.5 is required. UC Berkeley is test-free — SAT and ACT scores are not used in admissions decisions. 

• Certificate of completion of secondary education equivalent to US high school
• GPA of 3.4+ out of 4.0 (80–90%+) recommended
• TOEFL: 80+ (100 preferred) / IELTS: 6.5+
• Personal Insight Questions (PIQs) — 8 prompts; choose 4 to answer
• Application submitted through UC Application portal between October 1 – December 2

Indian students can check UCB's specific admission requirements for their chosen program through Polygon Campus.

Placements

UC Berkeley's location in the San Francisco Bay Area — at the epicentre of Silicon Valley — gives its graduates direct and unmatched access to some of the world's most innovative technology companies, startups, and venture capital networks.

According to UC Berkeley's Career Center, 95% of undergraduate students were employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation in 2023. The average starting salary for UC Berkeley undergraduate students was $61,000 per year. 

For the Berkeley Haas Full-time MBA Class of 2025, 85.7% of graduates seeking employment received job offers within three months of graduation, and 84.1% accepted those offers. The median base salary for the Class of 2025 reached a record $167,250 — a decade-long high — with an average total compensation of $215,338, the highest ever reported by Haas. 

Technology was the dominant hiring industry for Haas Class of 2025, accounting for 38.6% of placements, followed by Consulting at 26.8% and Financial Services at 15.7%. Top employers included Amazon, Adobe, McKinsey & Company, BCG, Bain & Company, and Deloitte. 

UC Berkeley is ranked 6th globally in the Global Employability Rankings 2026 by Times Higher Education. 

Jobs After Graduating from UC Berkeley

Note: Salary figures are indicative and may vary based on role, employer, industry, and experience.

UC Berkeley's career support ecosystem includes:

• Berkeley Career Engagement — Personalised career advising, employer recruiting events, industry networking, and career tools
• Haas Career Management Group — Dedicated MBA career support with deep Silicon Valley employer connections
• Berkeley International Office (BIO) — Dedicated visa and immigration support for international students
• Cal Alumni Network (600,000+ living alumni) — One of the largest and most influential alumni networks in the world
• On-Campus Recruiting — Direct access to Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, BCG, McKinsey, and hundreds of Silicon Valley startups
• OPT & STEM OPT — International graduates can remain and work in the US for up to 12–36 months after graduation

For personalised guidance on UC Berkeley admissions, connect with the experts at Polygon Campus today.

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