What is the acceptance rate for UC Berkeley grad school?

UC Berkeley's graduate school acceptance rate varies significantly by program, but overall it's very competitive, often cited around 10-20%, with specific departments like Psychology seeing rates as low as 2.4% and top programs in Engineering or Business even lower, while overall figures for fall 2025 show over 49,000 applicants for about 4,440 spots, yielding roughly a 9-10% acceptance rate for enrollment rather than admission.

What GPA do you need for UC Berkeley Masters?

A satisfactory scholastic average, usually a minimum GPA of 3.0 is required by UC Berkeley for admission, though typically, the cut-off for most departments is higher. (Exceptions can possibly occur depending on circumstances.)

What is the acceptance rate for UC Berkeley graduate school?

The University of California, Berkeley is quite selective with an overall acceptance rate of 11%. To secure admission to the graduate programs at UC Berkeley, international students require a minimum GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 (83-86%).

Is it harder to get into UCLA or Berkeley?

UCLA is generally considered harder to get into than UC Berkeley due to having a lower overall acceptance rate and receiving more applications, making it the most selective UC, though both are extremely competitive and depend heavily on your major and profile. While UCLA often requires higher stats (especially GPA), Berkeley can be very competitive for specific programs like Engineering or Business, but might be slightly more holistic overall. 

Is UC Berkeley a good grad school?

Overall, UC Berkeley tied with Columbia, ranking 15th amongst all public and private institutions in the nation. Additionally, UC Berkeley graduate programs remain among the best in the nation, with 9 ranked at No. 1 and 32 placed in the top 5.

What Is The Acceptance Rate For UC Berkeley Computer Science? - The College Explorer

Is UC Berkeley Masters hard to get into?

Admission to both undergraduate and graduate programs at UC Berkeley is highly selective, and a strong application showcasing academic achievement and personal qualities is crucial.

Is UCLA or UCB more prestigious?

Both UCLA and UC Berkeley are highly prestigious, but Berkeley often edges out UCLA in global research rankings, while UCLA frequently leads in U.S. national rankings for undergraduate experience and social mobility, creating a dynamic rivalry where prestige depends on the specific metric and field. Berkeley is often seen as having stronger research heft and engineering/STEM programs, while UCLA is praised for its vibrant student life and strong undergraduate focus, though both are considered top-tier public universities. 

Is it harder to get into Stanford or Berkeley?

Both attract high-achieving applicants from across California, the country, and the world. While Stanford's overall acceptance rate is significantly lower, Berkeley's top majors are just as competitive as Stanford's overall admissions.

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.

Is UCLA or UCB #1?

It depends on the ranking, but recently UC Berkeley has often been ranked #1 Public University by U.S. News & World Report for 2026, overtaking UCLA, though both are consistently top contenders and sometimes tie, with UCLA having held the top spot for years prior. They frequently trade the #1 spot, with both being considered among the best public universities in the U.S. and world. 

How much do Berkeley Masters cost?

Graduate Tuition and Fees

Berkeley offers several highly respected graduate programs. For 2024-25, graduate tuition (including fees) is $15,866 for in-state students and $30,968 for out-of-state students. There are graduate loans available to help with these costs.

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

The hardest majors to get into at UC Berkeley are primarily in high-demand fields like Computer Science (CS), Engineering (especially EECS/ECE), the Haas School of Business, and Data Science, often within impacted colleges, but also specific Letters & Sciences majors like Political Economy, Public Health, and Operations Research, known for extremely low admission rates (sometimes single digits for CS) and high applicant numbers. 

Is 3.7 a good GPA for grad school?

Yes, a 3.7 GPA is generally considered very good for graduate school, making you a strong candidate for many Master's programs and competitive for PhD programs, though admission depends heavily on program selectivity, field, and other application factors like research, GRE scores, recommendations, and statement of purpose, note sources. While it's above the typical 3.0 minimum, top-tier, highly competitive PhD programs might prefer closer to a 3.7-4.0, so research your specific program's averages. 

Is UC Berkeley MBA hard to get into?

The program receives approximately 3,700 applications in a typical year. In recent years, we have received as many as 4,500 applications and as few as 2,800 applications. Each year, the Berkeley MBA program admits people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Can I get into Berkeley with a 3.5 GPA?

While a 3.5 GPA is lower than the average for admitted Berkeley students, it's not impossible.

What is the hardest UC to get in to?

The hardest University of California (UC) to get into is consistently UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), often followed closely by UC Berkeley, both known for their extremely low acceptance rates (around 9-11% for UCLA and 11-13% for Berkeley in recent years) and high GPA/test score requirements. These two are generally considered the most selective, with acceptance rates for specific competitive programs like Nursing or Film at UCLA even lower, while other UCs like UC Merced and UC Riverside are significantly easier to get into. 

Which UC has the happiest students?

UC Davis Is One of the 25 Happiest Public Universities in the US.

Is Berkeley or UCLA the #1 public university?

#1 Berkeley. #2 Michigan. #3 UC San Diego. #4 UCLA.

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 is the #1 hardest school to get into?

There isn't one single #1 hardest school, as it changes slightly by year and criteria, but Harvard University, Stanford University, MIT, and Caltech consistently rank among the top with extremely low acceptance rates (often 3-4%) and intense competition for spots, though other top global universities like Oxford and Tsinghua are also incredibly selective. Harvard is frequently cited as the hardest due to its high volume of applications and focus on global leadership potential, while Caltech is known for its extreme difficulty in STEM. 

Is UCLA or Berkeley better?

Neither UCLA nor Berkeley is definitively "better"—both are elite public universities, but they offer different strengths, with Berkeley often leading in research/STEM (especially Engineering/CS) and UCLA excelling in overall student experience/balance and popular programs like Entertainment/Media, with rankings fluctuating between them depending on the publication and focus (e.g., location, program strength, career outcomes). Your choice depends on your major, preferred campus environment (LA vs. Bay Area), and career goals. 

Why do people choose UCLA over Berkeley?

People often choose UCLA over Berkeley because UCLA offers a more balanced mix of strong academics, better weather, and an energetic campus life in Los Angeles.

What are the hardest majors at UC Berkeley?

Based on the latest data from UC admissions for the Fall 2023 cycle, here's a look at the hardest majors to get into at UC Berkeley.

• Computer Science – 4% Admit Rate. ...
• Public Health – 5% Admit Rate. ...
• Engineering – 7% Admit Rate. ...
• Architecture – 8% Admit Rate. ...
• Social Sciences – 9% Admit Rate.

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.