University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley is a public, state school located in the urban setting of Berkeley, CA, less than an hour from San Francisco.

Founded in 1868, UC Berkeley currently enrolls around 42,244 students a year, including 30,980 undergrads. The institution runs on a semester academic calendar.

2021 Admissions Facts About UC Berkeley

Acceptance rate: 17%

Average GPA: 3.86

Does not offer early decision.

Doesn't offer early action.

Get ready! The 2022 regular decision application deadline for UC Berkeley is November 30

All regular decision applicants should hear back March 31.

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UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate

The acceptance rate at UC Berkeley is 17 percent. Out of 85,682 applications received, 14,950 students received an admissions offer.

The average high school GPA for a student at UC Berkeley is 3.86 out of 4.0.

In 2021, 8,753 applicants were waitlisted and 1,651 students were ultimately offered a spot off the waitlist.

Is UC Berkeley a good school?

Different people have different ideas about what makes a "good" school. Acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how competitive an institution is, but they don't say much about the quality of the education or the student experience.

Retention, graduation rates, and job placement statistics can help you understand how satisfied students are with their school experience, and how effectively an institution prepares students for careers.

Retention and graduation rates

Out of the 5,431 students who started at UC Berkeley as first-time freshman, 4,129 graduate within four years.

UC Berkeley's six-year graduation for undergrads is 92 percent. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61 percent for public schools and 67 percent for private.

Job outcomes and student debt

Job placement and student debt statistics for recent graduates can give you a sense of the return on investment a school offers. Students in the class of 2021 who had taken out student loans graduated with an average of $18,468 of debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

Based on this information, how does UC Berkeley sound? Remember, a school that is perfect for one person may not be the right school for another! So the real question to ask yourself: is UC Berkeley a good school for YOU?

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UC Berkeley's application deadline is November 31. All applicants should hear back from UC Berkeley by March 31.

Read on to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.

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