What are high demand majors at Berkeley?

At UC Berkeley, high-demand majors, also known as Impacted Majors, include Computer Science, Data Science, Economics, Psychology (though changing), Engineering (all disciplines), and Public Health, reflecting massive student interest and limited teaching capacity, making them highly competitive for admission and requiring specific application steps or prerequisite completion for guaranteed entry, according to the University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco Chronicle, and dailycal.org sources.

What are high-demand majors at UC Berkeley?

High-Demand Majors at Berkeley:

• Art Practice.
• Operations Research & Management Science (Analytics)
• Political Economy.
• Public Health.
• Social Welfare.

What major is Berkeley best known for?

The most popular majors are electrical engineering and computer sciences, political science, molecular and cell biology, environmental science, and economics.

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

The "easiest" UC Berkeley major often points to those in the large College of Letters & Science (L&S), especially those not listed as "High-Demand" like Math or Interdisciplinary Studies (for transfers), as most L&S admits are not major-specific initially, allowing easier declaration later, with Linguistics or Ancient Greek & Roman Studies sometimes showing higher transfer admit rates. For first-years, applying to L&S broadly and aiming for non-impacted majors, or even considering majors like Art Practice, Political Economy, or Social Welfare (which are lower-demand for L&S), provides better odds than highly competitive fields like Engineering or Computer Science.
 

What is the hardest major to get into at Berkeley?

The hardest majors to get into at UC Berkeley are consistently Computer Science (CS) and other STEM fields like Engineering, often with single-digit acceptance rates, alongside highly impacted majors like Business (Haas), Public Health, and Political Economy, requiring exceptional academic performance and strategic application, especially for first-year applicants. 

Guessing Student Majors at UC Berkeley

What are the top 3 hardest majors?

While difficulty is subjective, Medicine, Engineering (especially Chemical/Aerospace), and Physics/Chemistry consistently rank as the top hardest majors due to intense coursework, demanding problem-solving, heavy memorization, and complex analytical skills, often leading to very low average GPAs and extensive study hours. Other contenders often cited include Architecture, Neuroscience, and Computer Science. 

Is it harder to get into Berkeley or Harvard?

Harvard is generally harder to get into than UC Berkeley based on overall acceptance rates, as Harvard's are significantly lower (around 3-5%) compared to Berkeley's (around 12-17%), but Berkeley's specialized programs, especially in STEM, can be exceptionally competitive, sometimes rivaling or exceeding Ivy League selectivity for those specific majors, and Berkeley's high volume of applicants for limited spots makes it tough overall despite its public university role. 

What kind of student goes to Berkeley?

We look for persistence, passion, and a desire to give back. It doesn't matter whether you're the first in your family to attend college or you're the latest in a long tradition of educational excellence: You stand up and you stand out.

Does Berkeley accept based on major?

For example, Berkeley admits most students to the College of Letters and Science without consideration for major-specific space limitation (except for the “high-demand” majors) and UCLA does not consider major-specific space limitation at all for the College of Letters and Science (students are simply admitted to the ...

What are the top 5 majors?

The top 5 most popular college majors consistently include Business, Health Professions (like Nursing), Psychology, Computer Science, and Engineering, often alongside fields like Education, Biological Sciences, and the Social Sciences, reflecting a blend of high-demand career paths, personal interest, and foundational knowledge areas. 

What does UC Berkeley value the most?

Honesty/Integrity: We place honesty and integrity in our teaching, learning, research and administration at the highest level.

What is the most competitive major at Berkeley?

We highlight the computer science and business majors in this graph because as you can see, across the table both major's admissions rates are lower than the campus' overall admission rate. They are a couple of the most competitive majors that first-year applicants apply to.

Which major is most in demand?

Some of the most in-demand majors include:

1. Nursing. Nurses care for ill or injured patients and guide them through the recovery process. ...
2. Culinary arts. ...
3. Computer science. ...
4. Business administration. ...
5. Accounting. ...
6. Physical therapy. ...
7. Medical assisting. ...
8. Mathematics and statistics.

What is the average salary after graduating from UC Berkeley?

The four-year graduation rate is 80%. Six years after graduation, the median salary for graduates is $74,919. University of California, Berkeley is a public institution that was founded in 1868. In the 2026 edition of Best Colleges, University of California, Berkeley is ranked No.

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.

What are the hardest majors to get into at Berkeley?

The hardest majors to get into at UC Berkeley are consistently Computer Science (CS) and other STEM fields like Engineering, often with single-digit acceptance rates, alongside highly impacted majors like Business (Haas), Public Health, and Political Economy, requiring exceptional academic performance and strategic application, especially for first-year applicants. 

What are the top 3 majors at UC Berkeley?

The top 3 most popular majors at UC Berkeley consistently include Computer Science (often combined with Electrical Engineering - EECS), followed by strong showings in Economics and Molecular/Cellular Biology, with significant interest also in areas like Political Science, Engineering disciplines, and Psychology, reflecting high demand for tech, business, and life sciences. 

Which is more prestigious, Berkeley or UCLA?

Both UCLA and UC Berkeley are incredibly prestigious, world-class universities, but their perceived prestige shifts depending on the ranking system or focus (e.g., research vs. undergrad experience). Berkeley often edges out UCLA in research-heavy global rankings and certain STEM fields, while UCLA frequently leads in national rankings for overall undergraduate experience and student outcomes, leading to a constant friendly rivalry for the top public university spot. 

Which degree leads to the highest burnout?

Architecture. Architecture is known as one of the degrees that leads to the highest mental burnout due to its intense studio culture, long working hours, and demanding design expectations. Students often spend nights completing models, drawings, and critiques, which can lead to stress and exhaustion.

What is the rarest major?

The rarest college majors are often highly specialized fields like Puppet Arts, Egyptology, Astrobiology, Bagpiping, or niche areas like Bakery Science & Management (only offered at Kansas State), focusing on unique skills or ancient studies with limited career paths but dedicated programs. While some uncommon majors (like Theology or Library Science) are rare due to low demand, others, such as certain Engineering or Arts degrees, are rare because they're exceptionally specific or offered at only one or two universities. 

Which major has the most dropouts?

Dropout rates by major:

STEM fields have higher attrition than non-STEM majors overall. Computer science has a 10.7% early dropout rate (among the highest) Business and engineering also show high early losses. Only 40% of those who declare STEM majors complete the degree.