UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate

Everything you need to know about University of California Berkeley Admissions.

Get Into UC Berkeley

Berkeley is the #1 public university worldwide, according to U.S. News & World Report, and #9 among all global universities. Although there are 350+ degree programs and over 30,000 undergraduates, the university remains committed to small classes: 71 percent of undergraduate classes have fewer than 30 students. Beyond the undergraduate community, there are 13,029 graduate students, which add to the vibrant research focus on campus.

UC Berkeley has been recognized by its particular strengths in chemistry, environment/ecology, economics and business, space science, and physics. The undergraduate academic life, however, offers programs in a great variety of disciplines, organized into 5 colleges:

College of Letters and Science: The College of Letters and Science is the liberal arts foundation of Berkeley and includes a wide range of majors in Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences.

College of Chemistry: The College of Chemistry offers majors in Chemistry, Chemical Biology, or Chemical Engineering.

College of Engineering: The College of Engineering includes courses taught by internationally recognized faculty and emphasizes research. Housed within the college are the departments of Bioengineering; Civil & Environmental Engineering; Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences; Industrial Engineering & Operations Research; Materials Science & Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; and Nuclear Engineering. A new program, the Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology (M.E.T.) Program combines Engineering courses with classes at the Haas School of Business.

College of Environmental Design: The College of Environmental Design includes programs in architecture, landscape architecture, sustainable environmental design, and urban studies.

College of Natural Resources: The College of Natural Resources includes majors that range from Conservation and Resource Studies to Microbial Biology and Molecular Toxicology. These academic programs focus on economic and ecological sustainability.

College of Haas School of Business: Undergraduates in the College of Haas School of Business can pursue a BS in Business Administration, the Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology Program, The Global Managements Program, or the Biology+Business Program.

TTA admissions success results - class of 2026

Top Tier’s students had GREAT results in both the early and regular rounds. Check out our successes!

Berkeley Campus Life

From the Cal athletic program, which has won 100 team national championships, to outdoor adventures, famous speakers, and Bay Area resources, there are no shortage of activities at Berkeley. As a major research university, Berkeley offers a number of opportunities for undergraduates to take part in cutting-edge research and to take advantage of the main libraries (Doe, Moffitt, and the Bancroft), 18 subject-specialty libraries, and 11 affiliated libraries, along with special collections.The Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP) is one such opportunity for undergraduates to work with faculty on specific projects. Other programs, like Berkeley Connect, pair undergraduate students with graduate student mentors as they undertake collaborative research.

Interested in studying abroad? Berkeley’s Summer Abroad offerings feature intensive summer programs led by Berkeley faculty. Likewise, Berkley Global Internships place students in competitive internships in the Bay Area and around the world. For juniors and seniors interested in public policy or government, there are opportunities to travel to Washington, D.C. to intern, do research, and take classes for a semester where they live and take classes at the UC Washington Center.

Applying to the University of California Berkeley

UC Berkeley is part of the larger “UC system” and adheres to the University of California application system and guidelines. As with all the UCs, there are no early action or early decision programs offered and freshman decisions are posted at the end of March.

Close to 85% of UC undergraduates are California residents. If you are in the top 9 percent of California high school graduates, you will be offered a spot at a UC campus if space is available. Whether or not you fall into the top 9 percent is determined by the admission index—a calculation that takes into account your grades and honors-level courses.

The minimum GPA requirements for admission to Berkeley as a freshman are a 3.0 (CA residents) and 3.4 (non-residents). Berkeley is test-free, they do not use SAT/ACT test scores in any part of their application process.

The “personal insight questions” are a series of short-answer questions reviewed by both the Admissions and Scholarship offices. These questions are the same for every school in the UC system.

Students can choose four out of the following eight questions to answer:

Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

Berkeley Admissions Wrap Up

Class of 2029
105,109 students applied to the Class of 2029 for an acceptance rate of 11.4%.

Top Tier Admissions Can Help You Get Into Berkeley:

I hope you are enjoying some extremely well-deserved R&R after the intensity of Bootcamp! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for offering R and I your warmth, encouragement, expertise, and seasoned insight. R was so very lucky to have the chance to work with you. We now count you as part of our beloved extended family! ABC was certainly rigorous but it was wonderful to see R’s pride and relief when she came home on Friday.

C.W.

Application Boot Camp® parent

I am on my knees with gratitude. G did not video her acceptance because she was guarding her hope but I can tell you the waves of “I got in!”, “I got a special accelerated research offer!”, “I got into the honors program!”, and then…”I got a full ride!!!!!!!” had us all in tears. My husband is not an emotional guy but, as you can imagine, the full scholarship for 4 years brought him to his feet.

R.K.

Application Boot Camp® parent

You’ve gained a best friend for life! I knew how amazing and helpful TTA was for these poor stressed out teens navigating the college process but you (and your team) are literally like medicine for the crazy parents of these poor stressed out teens! You are like human valium! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

D.T.

Application Boot Camp® parent

N called me from school to thank me for getting you guys as advisors!!!! This is why you have the reputation you do!!! There is no cutting corners and it is black and white and that summary lit a fire under N (which is why I wish I had you since 9th grade)!!! He is very very excited by all the ideas mentioned. You guys are phenomenal and I can’t even explain how just his admissions report put things in a different perspective. Thank you!

E.R.

Application Boot Camp® parent

Without ABC I would have had a strictly mediocre application.

R.V.

Application Boot Camp® student

I can’t thank you enough for all your guidance and encouragement during ABC! I’m still exhausted but also really happy about my essays. It’s a huge relief to have my common app in such good shape. I’ll never forget how much you and the rest of the amazing TTA team helped me.

K.R.

Application Boot Camp® student

My family and I are still jumping up and down from the news. I will never forget Boot Camp’s perspective, which made me stand out!

J.T.

Application Boot Camp® student

I wanted to share that M GOT INTO PRINCETON! We are so happy for her. She worked super hard. She couldn’t have done the application questions and created a niche without all of your support. Thank you so much for everything. We will forever be in gratitude.

D.J.

Application Boot Camp® parent

Thank you so much, Mimi! I’m very, very excited about my acceptance and I can’t wait to be there! Thank you, and all the other Top Tier counselors, for the continued support and help!

P.R.

Application Boot Camp® student

I saw her grow right before my eyes during Bootcamp (which was phenomenally well run, due to your effort and skill). I still marvel at how much she accomplished in such a condensed period of time but I am most grateful for how you nurtured her spirit and confidence. Empowering her in that way has made all the difference this year.

R.S.

Application Boot Camp® parent

I just wanted to reach out and thank you for all of your help wrapping up regular decision applications and with the Dartmouth LOCI. You have been an invaluable resource and support system for me throughout this entire process. I really can’t thank you enough.

B.M.

Application Boot Camp® and Essay Guidance student

I know everyone must say “we couldn’t have done it without you” but that sentiment is true beyond words. You have given her a gift that will keep giving for the rest of her life and you have changed us for good AND for the better.

R.S.

Application Boot Camp® parent

You told the students, and us, to “trust the process” and you delivered beyond our wildest imagination. Oh, how I wanted to get in the game with the creation and editing of those Bootcamp essays but, I trusted and resisted the urge to meddle (G would not have had it any other way), and you gave G the benefit of the entire TTA brain trust, along with an immeasurable – but truly extraordinary – sense of confidence, accomplishment, and empowerment. Yours is a gift that will keep giving for the rest of G’s existence.

R.K.

Application Boot Camp® parent

You have been an invaluable resource and support system for me throughout this entire process. I really can’t thank you enough.

B.L.

Application Boot Camp® student

How many times have you heard, “We could not have done it without you?” Well, I will echo that sentiment and add my deeply felt gratitude to your mountainous pile of extremely well warranted appreciation. I have to say, as elated as we have been to relay this news to friends and relatives, it feels most meaningful – and really absolutely divine – to share it with our TTA family. A million thank yous do not begin to cover our gratitude for your presence in our lives.

R.K.

Application Boot Camp® parent

I KNOW that YOU were beyond instrumental in this process and I wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for your efforts from August in Boston onward. You were always available and such a massive help for K with her supplements.

H.T.

Application Boot Camp and Essay Guidance parent

Thank you so much for thinking of me! I am fully committed to Rollins and I am so excited! None of this would’ve been possible without you and your awesome team! Thank you so much for everything!!

B.C.

Application Boot Camp® student

We are enormously grateful for your nurturing presence in our lives and we can’t thank you enough for the gift of your extraordinary experience and expert advice during this nerve-racking process. I still can’t get over the collective brain power in the “room” at ABC.

You might be surprised at what I heard H say yesterday but it’s such a tribute to how hard he worked, how much support he received, and the connections he made. After his 3-hour nap on Friday, a celebratory dinner, and a great night’s, he got up on Saturday and said, “Mom, I want to go back to Bootcamp!” True story. I’m not sure how you do it with the pace and intensity of ABC but T felt truly seen, deeply respected, pushed in the best way possible, and overjoyed about the results. We appreciate your help more than words can express.

H.B.

Application Boot Camp® parent

We hope you had a great weekend and that you were able to rest and recharge after an intense and very successful ABC! R and I are simply amazed by how much you were able to help J accomplish in 1 week. The depth, nuance and quality of all of the essays and core application elements are outstanding. We are so grateful for all you’ve done for J (and of course T!) and now J is even more motivated to improve on her SATs. She told us that she doesn’t want to let you, Mimi, and Michelle down!

B.A.

Application Boot Camp® parent

This was amazing! Thank you so much for your help!! I had an amazing experience with Boot Camp; it was an absolute pleasure to work with you and Top Tier!

P.A.

Application Boot Camp® student

We were recently at Brown’s Admitted Students Day and P had such an amazing time! He truly felt that this was absolutely the right place for him to be for the next four years. As he was walking around campus, a lady named J came up to him. She said she was an admissions officer.
J asked if he was P and she must have recognized him from his video submission. She then went on to say that his application was amazing and she said she remembered it! P was so shocked since it was so unexpected, and he didn’t quite know what to say besides, ‘Thank you!’. To leave such a mark on an admissions officer who sees countless applications is truly remarkable! Credit goes to Top Tier’s Bootcamp for being able to give that attention to detail, and knowing how to absolutely button down the application such that it makes for a unique submission and ensures a lasting impression! Thank you again for your experience, expertise and excellence!

S.S.

Application Boot Camp® parent

I’m not in complete TTA withdrawal after ABC, thanks to you continuing to keep us on track! My heartfelt gratitude for all you have done for the K family. Your care and calm have meant the world to us. So much appreciation for being our rock and guiding light!

P.L.

Application Boot Camp® parent

She’s IN at Stanford! Thank you for all your support and hard work, and to the others at TTA who worked over her application. You are very much appreciated. K is a great kid and I trust her to do good in the world.

E.W.

Application Boot Camp® parent

I have been accepted early into Dartmouth! I would like to thank you so much for your help with all of the essays and overall guidance! It really helped very much and I owe much of my admission to you. I am so excited to attend Dartmouth – it still feels so surreal to be part of their class of ‘28! I would love to keep in touch with you throughout my college journey. Thank you once again for everything!

C.B.

Application Boot Camp® and Essay Guidance student

While H awaits his early round decisions, I wanted to give you an update on R. He just finished his first semester at Occidental and he has been crushing it. He loves the school and he is motivated, curious and working so hard. It has been an ideal place for him.

We cannot thank you enough for all of your help and truly wonderful advice. We are so grateful!

T.C.

Application Boot Camp® parents

I committed to Columbia University yesterday morning, with the intention to major in Electrical Engineering! I am beyond excited and happy to start my journey there and I can’t wait to see where it’ll take me. I am very grateful for all the help you and the TTA team have given me, from Boot Camp to making final touches in December and later deferral notes. I sincerely appreciate all the time and effort you put into helping me hone my application and where it’s gotten me so far. Thank you!

J.L.

Application Boot Camp® student

I just wanted to let y’all know that I have been accepted into Barnard and I am so excited and so grateful to TTA for all of your guidance!! Thank you so much!

P.W.

Application Boot Camp® student

We have some exciting news! H found out yesterday he’s been accepted to Boston College early decision! As you can imagine, he is beyond excited. Thank you for all of your help. Application Bootcamp® really helped him hone in on his niche and create compelling essays that made him stand out as an applicant.

G.B.

Application Boot Camp® parent

MASSIVE thanks to you for all you did to shepherd us through this nerve-racking process! You are the rock, the hub, and the heart of TTA. H is so extraordinarily fortunate to have had you supporting, guiding, and believing in her.
I saw her grow right before my eyes during Bootcamp (which was phenomenally well run, due to your effort and skill). I still marvel at how much she accomplished in such a condensed period of time but I am most grateful for how you nurtured her spirit and confidence. Empowering her in that way has made all the difference this year.
I know everyone must say “we couldn’t have done it without you” but that sentiment is true beyond words. You have given her a gift that will keep giving for the rest of her life and you have changed us for good AND for the better.

R.C.

Application Boot Camp® parent

I wanted to share the good news that J was accepted to Duke early admission. Thank you for your support!

S.D.

Application Boot Camp® student

I’m already envious of the red carpet you are rolling out for ABC; these kiddos are so fortunate to be in such caring and attentive hands! T is very excited for Bootcamp and that is a gift in and of itself. A million thank yous for creating an application experience that generates more enthusiasm than panic.

E.A.

Application Boot Camp® parent

We wanted to let you know that L was accepted at Tufts – his first choice and ED app! Thanks again for all of your help!

G.Y.

Application Boot Camp parent

I got into Brown University! I’m so excited to attend!! Thank you for all your guidance and support during the whole process. I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome, and Top Tier was critical in this result.

M.R.

Application Boot Camp student

We are thrilled to inform you that H has been accepted to Duke University and will be joining his brother K there this fall. We were admittedly a little nervous when Application Boot Camp (understandably) went virtual, but we should not have worried as H came away super-prepared for application season. We really appreciate all of the frank advice and counsel we have received from everyone at Top Tier over the last few years as our sons have journeyed through this process.

W.R.

Application Boot Camp® parent

I just wanted to let you guys know I’ve officially been admitted to Williams. I am SO excited and so grateful for all of your help along the way. Thank you so much. Woohoo!

E.A.

Application Boot Camp® student

I just wanted to share with you the very exciting news that I was accepted into the University of Miami!!! Thank you so much for all your help and support during this process. All the team from Top Tier really made a difference and were extremely supportive.

L.W.

Application Boot Camp® student

I wanted to inform you that I just got accepted to Yale University REA. I am very thankful to Application Boot Camp® for helping me so much; it made the application process so much easier. Thank you for everything!!

T.O.

Application Boot Camp® student

Michele, I know E has already written you but I wanted to reach out and say thank you to you and R as well as the rest of the Top Tier Team. E is over the moon and being able to enjoy the rest of the year without the stress of college decisions is priceless. We all appreciate what you and your team were able to do to help guide the process as well as make the essay writing much smoother that it would have been otherwise.

C.B.

Application Boot Camp® parent

We want to share the good news that P was admitted ED to Williams yesterday! Thank you!

W.B.

Application Boot Camp® parents

We are so incredibly grateful to the whole team at Top Tier. It has been a really positive experience and we so appreciate all of your expertise.

C.K.

Application Boot Camp® parent

R.S.

Application Boot Camp® parent

I just wanted to let you all know that I was accepted into Northwestern! Thanks for all your help!

R.G.

Application Boot Camp® student

I wanted to share with you the great news that I was accepted to Tulane ED yesterday! Thank you both so much for your advice and help along the way. I can’t imagine how hard it would have been without it. I am so excited and looking forward to the fall. Thank you!!

E.R.

Application Boot Camp® student

Trust The Process. Those words are etched in my brain forever. We were so happy and excited to watch our daughter find out she had been accepted early into Notre Dame last night.
I felt like a millstone that had been hanging around my neck was taken off immediately.
Thank you for your patience and for your expertise in guiding our daughter. Her friends from ND are coming home this weekend and she is so happy and proud to be able to wear a ND sweatshirt she had been keeping in her closet since she picked it up at ND last June.
The Boot Camp was really awesome in teaching her how to write essays for the supplemental questions. I would say it also boosted her confidence, knowing that experts such as yourselves taught her the pearls of wisdom in writing college applications.
From South Dakota to South Bend… it was a journey uphill but our daughter is finally home… Thank you!

O.P.

Application Boot Camp® parents

I just got my Brown Early Decision back and I wanted to let you all know that I got in!!!! Thank you, guys, so much for all the help with my application and my essays. I couldn’t have done it without your help! I am so happy that I got into my first-choice school!!! Once again, I can’t thank you all enough for all the help and guidance

C.A.

Application Boot Camp® student

I wanted to share the good news that I was accepted to Wharton ED last night!! Thanks again to you and ABC for all the support.

W.P.

Application Boot Camp® student