What scholarships do UC Berkeley offer?

UC Berkeley offers a wide range of scholarships, including institutional awards like the Regents' & Chancellor's, Fiat Lux, and Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarships, often awarded automatically based on merit and need, plus specialized options for various groups like re-entry students, specific majors (Law, Haas Business), and diverse backgrounds (Cal Alumni Association, Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan for California residents). Students apply for financial aid via FAFSA/CADAA, and the university matches eligible students with many donor-funded scholarships.

What kind of scholarships does UC Berkeley offer?

UC Berkeley is able to provide scholarships like the Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarship, Fiat Lux, and the Regents' and Chancellor's Scholarship because of hundreds of donors who want to see students achieve their full potential in college.

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. 

What is the highest UC scholarship?

The Regents Scholarship, based on academic excellence, is a prestigious scholarship awarded to UC undergraduate students. First-Year Regents Scholars receive a $20,000 scholarship paid at $5,000 per year in each of their 4 undergraduate years (plus other special privileges).

Does UC Berkeley give a lot of aid?

Nearly two-thirds of undergraduate students qualify for financial aid. Eligible graduate students may be awarded federal student loans and work-study. More than 60% of Berkeley Undergraduate students receive aid.

UC Berkeley Admissions | Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, Berkeley | Mastercard Scholarship

Will I get financial aid if my parents make over $400,000?

Yes, you can still get financial aid even if your parents earn over $400k, as there's no strict income cutoff for the FAFSA, but need-based grants will likely be reduced; you may qualify for federal loans, institutional aid, merit scholarships, or other resources, so always apply to see what you're eligible for based on your family's specific situation (size, assets, other factors). 

How much does it cost to go to UC Berkeley for 4 years?

For 4 years at UC Berkeley, the estimated total cost of attendance (COA) is roughly $200,000 - $230,000 for California residents and $330,000 - $380,000 for non-residents, including tuition, fees, living expenses (like housing/meals), books, and personal costs, varying by residency and living situation. In-state tuition/fees alone are around $17,000-$18,000/year, while out-of-state is $50,000-$55,000/year, with significant extra for living. 

Where do top 1% send kids to college?

The "top 1%" of students, often defined by family income, tend to go to highly selective, elite universities like Dartmouth, Yale, Penn, Brown, Princeton, and Stanford, MIT, and Harvard, with some Ivy League schools having a higher concentration of these students than the bottom 60% of income earners. Rankings vary, but MIT, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, and UC Berkeley consistently appear at the top for overall academic standing, attracting top talent across all income levels. 

What GPA will get you a full-ride scholarship?

To get a full-ride scholarship, you generally need an exceptional GPA, often 3.8 or higher, but it varies, with some requiring a perfect 4.0, alongside strong test scores, rigorous coursework (AP/IB), leadership, community involvement, and sometimes financial need, as colleges look for well-rounded students, not just high grades, to secure these highly competitive awards. 

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. 

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. 

What is a 72% at Berkeley?

At UC Berkeley, a 72% falls into the C- range (70-72%), earning 1.7 grade points on a 4.0 scale and is considered a "Fair" grade, just above the barely passing D range, but it can vary slightly by department, with some scales placing it lower. 

What is the easiest major at UC Berkeley?

While "easiest" is subjective and depends on your strengths, majors often cited as less demanding at UC Berkeley due to fewer prerequisites or lighter course loads include Legal Studies, Global Studies, Linguistics, and Political Science, often having lower GPA averages for admitted transfer students and fewer core requirements, with Linguistics noted for minimal prereqs. Other relatively accessible options (especially for transfer) can be History of Art, Comparative Literature, and Rhetoric, with higher transfer admit rates, while courses like ESPM 50AC are famously easy general requirements. 

What do Berkeley students get for free?

As a Berkeley student, you are eligible for free software, such as Adobe or Microsoft Office. You can also get a free free anti-virus software and more. Please check the UC Berkeley Computing page for more information.

Does UC Berkeley give out of state scholarships?

New students who are not residents of California will not be eligible for our need-based grants or most scholarships.

What is the average salary of an UC Berkeley graduate?

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. #15 in National Universities.

How to get 100% free scholarship?

To get a 100% free scholarship (full ride), you need a stellar academic record (high GPA, test scores), strong extracurriculars, leadership, compelling essays, glowing recommendations, and proactive research for prestigious programs like Fulbright or institution-specific full scholarships, focusing on merit, need, or specific demographics, and applying early for both university and external grants. 

How much money is considered a full ride scholarship?

And not just tuition—a full-ride scholarship also covers your housing, meals, books, lab fees, and sometimes even living costs. In money terms, it can be worth anywhere from $20,000 to more than $50,000, depending on your school's costs.

Can FAFSA give you a full ride?

The financial aid awarded based on the FAFSA can be used to pay for the college's full cost of attendance, which includes tuition and fees. While it is possible for student financial aid to cover full tuition, in practice it will fall short.

Where do most billionaires go to college?

American universities like Harvard, Stanford, and Penn lead in producing billionaire alumni. Most wealth comes from technology startups and entrepreneurial ventures (e.g., Microsoft, Google, DoorDash, Baidu).

What is the easiest ivy to get into?

While all Ivy League schools are highly selective, Cornell University is generally considered the "easiest" to get into due to having the highest acceptance rate (around 8-9%), partly because it's the largest Ivy with diverse colleges, like the less competitive Agriculture and Life Sciences, though its engineering programs are tough. Dartmouth College and Brown University often follow as the next most accessible Ivies, while Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia are typically the most difficult, with lower acceptance rates. 

Where do the Kardashians' kids go to school?

Kim Kardashian's children (North, Saint, Chicago, Psalm West) and Kourtney Kardashian's kids (Mason, Penelope, Reign Disick) have attended the prestigious Sierra Canyon School, a private, college-preparatory school known for its celebrity student body in the Los Angeles area, though specific attendance can change. The school offers strong academics and diverse programs for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
 

How to afford UC Berkeley?

With average gift aid (grants and scholarships) for undergraduates at UC Berkeley over $27,500, many of our California resident students are able to cover their remaining costs through part-time work, allowing them to graduate with minimal—or often no—debt.

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.

Do UC Berkeley students get free Bart?

The BayPass Referendum was overwhelmingly approved in the 2025 ASUC Elections with 90% “Yes” votes. We are all very excited to bring unlimited fare-free public transit to UC Berkeley's student body! What does this mean for you?