How elite is UC Berkeley?

National. In the 2025 Forbes' America's Top Colleges list, Berkeley was the highest ranking public school and 5th overall. In the 2025–2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Ranking, Berkeley was the top public school and tied for 15th overall.

Is UC Berkeley an elite college?

UC Berkeley is the #1 public and #5 overall in latest Forbes rankings of undergraduate colleges. The annual rankings focus on graduates' return on investment and career achievements, among other factors.

Is UC Berkeley as good as Ivy?

However, UC Berkeley is considered a prestigious institution with rigorous academics, and it's often compared to Ivy League universities because of its high academic reputation. In fact, it's ranked among the top public universities in the US.

Is going to UC Berkeley impressive?

Berkeley isn't just the top public university in the US, it's number one globally, with Oxford second. So, I'd say Berkeley would really be worth it when it comes to setting your kid up for success after graduation. Berkeley is a world-class education.

Is Berkeley the hardest UC to get into?

The Bottom Line

UC Berkeley is one of the most selective public universities in the country, with an overall acceptance rate of around 12%. Admission is more competitive for out-of-state and international applicants, and popular programs like engineering and business have even lower admit rates.

10 THINGS NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT UC BERKELEY

Is UC Berkeley better than Harvard?

For the fifth straight year, both Stanford and UC Berkeley ranked in the top five of Forbes' List of America's Top Colleges. UC Berkeley even beat out Harvard.

Is it harder to get into UCLA or UC Berkeley?

A line chart showing the share of in-state applicants who were admitted to each UC campus from 2011 to 2022. Still, UCLA had the biggest change among top California universities over the 11 years. UCLA is now harder to get into than Berkeley and USC and close to surpassing Pomona College.

Is NYU or UC Berkeley better?

NYU is a private university with strong financial resources, offering a more enriched experience. While Berkeley is well known for IP and environmental law, NYU has a stronger focus on corporate law, including M&A. Unless there is a compelling reason otherwise, NYU would typically be the preferred choice.

Which UC is the most prestigious?

UC Berkeley and UCLA are the top two public universities in the country, with seven UC campuses in the top 25 and all nine undergraduate campuses in the top 45, according to the 2026 Best Colleges rankings, released today (Sept. 22) by U.S. News & World Report.

What are the 11 little Ivies?

The Little Ivies are also sub-grouped by the following consortia: The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) members: Amherst, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, Wesleyan and Williams.

What famous people went to Berkeley?

Here are just a few examples.

• Amber Jackson (conservationist and co-founder of Blue Latitudes, B.A. '11) ...
• Alex Morgan (athlete, B.A. '10) ...
• Rube Goldberg (engineer, cartoonist, sculptor, author, and inventor, B.S. ...
• Steve Wozniak (engineer, co-founder of Apple, B.S. ...
• Leroy Chiao, (astronaut, B.S.

What is the hardest major to get into at UC Berkeley?

Hardest Majors to Get Into at UC Berkeley

1. Computer Science – 4% Admit Rate. Berkeley's Computer Science (CS) program is one of the most selective majors, with an admission rate of just 4%. ...
2. Public Health – 5% Admit Rate. ...
3. Engineering – 7% Admit Rate. ...
4. Architecture – 8% Admit Rate. ...
5. Social Sciences – 9% Admit Rate.

Is it harder to get into Berkeley or Harvard?

Which school is easier to get into? If you're looking at acceptance rate alone, then Harvard University is more difficult to get into. However, each college is looking to fill its incoming class with a variety of students with different strengths, backgrounds, etc.

Which is more prestigious, Berkeley or Stanford?

Both schools are highly selective, but Stanford takes the lead in exclusivity. Stanford: With a record-low acceptance rate of 3.9% in 2023, Stanford is one of the most competitive universities globally.

Is it really hard to get into UC Berkeley?

The acceptance rate at UC Berkeley is 11%.

For every 100 applicants, only 11 are admitted. This means the school is extremely selective. Meeting their GPA requirements and SAT/ACT requirements is very important to getting past their first round of filters and proving your academic preparation.

Is UCLA as prestigious as Berkeley?

Berkeley ranked right behind UCLA on Forbes' list of America's Best Value Colleges.

Who is Berkeley's biggest rival?

Stanford and UC Berkeley often stand opposed as athletic and academic rivals, but in research they collaborate as powerful partners. Across fields such as genomics and public-interest data science, interdisciplinary teams at the two universities are combining expertise, resources and creativity to advance knowledge.

Is UC Berkeley impressive?

National. In the 2025 Forbes' America's Top Colleges list, Berkeley was the highest ranking public school and 5th overall. In the 2025–2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Ranking, Berkeley was the top public school and tied for 15th overall.

Is Harvard better than UC Berkeley?

Value for Money: Forbes ranked UC Berkeley as one of the best value colleges in USA, over Harvard. World Reputation: Harvard University aces UC Berkeley by 5 places in World Reputation Rankings. Financial Endowment: Harvard University receives maximum financial endowment for higher education institutes in the world.

What are the top 3 majors at UC Berkeley?

At the University of California-Berkeley, the three most popular college majors students pursue are Computer Science, Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, and Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology.

Why is Berkeley #1 now?

It also earned the distinction as the leading public university in North America in the QS World University Rankings 2026 and topped the PitchBook university rankings earlier this month for generating more startups founded by undergraduate alumni than any other university worldwide.