UC Berkeley Common Data Set 2025-2026

Jun 23

UC Berkeley’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set gives applicants a detailed look at one of the most selective public universities in the country. The data shows Berkeley’s overall admit rate, how it evaluates applicants, why grades and essays matter so much, how testing is treated, and how the transfer pathway compares with first-year admission.

Below is what the latest data reveals about UC Berkeley admissions and what applicants should take away from it.

A Sharper Look at UC Berkeley’s Selectivity

For the class entering in Fall 2025, UC Berkeley reported:

Applications received: 126,864
Students admitted: 14,524
Students enrolled: 6,687
Acceptance rate: roughly 11.4 percent
Yield rate: roughly 46.0 percent

That means UC Berkeley admitted a little more than one student out of every ten who applied. For a public university receiving more than 126,000 first-year applications, that is an extraordinary level of selectivity.

The yield rate also matters. Nearly half of admitted students enrolled, which means Berkeley is not merely a school students apply to as a backup. It is a first-choice or top-choice school for a large share of admitted applicants.

UC Berkeley Does Not Offer Early Decision or Early Action

UC Berkeley does not offer Early Decision or Early Action. The Common Data Set reports:

Early Decision: not offered
Early Action: not offered
Fall application deadline: November 30
Admission notification: by March 31
Reply deadline: May 1
Application fee: $80 for domestic students, $95 for international students
Fee waivers: available for applicants with financial need

This matters strategically. There is no ED boost at Berkeley. There is no early round where a student can increase their odds by committing early. Every first-year applicant competes through the UC application process.

That makes the November 30 deadline especially important. Berkeley applicants cannot count on a second round, a January private-school-style deadline, or a binding early plan to improve their chances.

Berkeley’s Testing Policy Requires Careful Reading

The Common Data Set says standardized test scores are Considered, but the testing section clarifies that Berkeley does not take regular SAT or ACT scores into account. The file states that Berkeley considers SAT II Subject Test scores, not regular SAT or ACT scores.

The practical takeaway is clear:

Do not build a Berkeley application around a high SAT or ACT score.
A strong SAT or ACT score should not be treated as an admissions advantage.
A weak SAT or ACT score should not be treated as an admissions disadvantage.
Berkeley reports that test scores may be used for academic advising, which is different from using them for admission.

This makes Berkeley very different from universities where SAT or ACT scores remain an important admissions factor. At Berkeley, the core application must stand on grades, rigor, essays, activities, achievements, and context.

The Academic Profile of Enrolled Students

Because regular SAT and ACT scores are not central to Berkeley’s admissions process, GPA is one of the clearest numerical indicators of academic strength.

Among enrolled first-year students who submitted high school GPA:

Average high school GPA: 3.90
Percent submitting GPA: 100 percent
4.0 GPA: 39.8 percent
3.75 to 3.99 GPA: 50.1 percent
3.50 to 3.74 GPA: 8.1 percent
3.25 to 3.49 GPA: 1.4 percent
3.00 to 3.24 GPA: 0.3 percent
2.50 to 2.99 GPA: 0.2 percent
2.00 to 2.49 GPA: 0.1 percent

That means 89.9 percent of enrolled students had a GPA of 3.75 or higher, and 98.0 percent had a GPA of 3.50 or higher.

For Berkeley, grades are not just one admissions factor. They are one of the central pieces of the application.

UC Berkeley’s Required and Recommended High School Preparation

UC Berkeley reports that it requires a general college-preparatory program. The Common Data Set lists:

Total academic units required: 15
Total academic units recommended: 18
English: 4 required, 4 recommended
Math: 3 required, 4 recommended
Science: 2 required, 3 recommended
Lab science: 2 required, 3 recommended
Foreign language: 2 required, 3 recommended
History: 2 required, 2 recommended
Academic electives: 1 required, 1 recommended
Visual or performing arts: 1 required, 1 recommended

The difference between required and recommended matters. A student who merely satisfies the minimum UC requirements may be eligible, but that does not mean they are competitive for Berkeley.

A stronger Berkeley applicant usually goes beyond the minimum, takes the most rigorous courses realistically available, and maintains excellent grades across that curriculum.

Who Makes Up the First-Year Class

UC Berkeley’s Fall 2025 first-year class included 6,687 degree-seeking students. By racial and ethnic category, the class was reported as:

Asian: 36.4 percent
Hispanic or Latino: 21.4 percent
White: 16.5 percent
International or nonresident: 11.4 percent
Two or more races: 6.9 percent
Race or ethnicity unknown: 5.2 percent
Black or African American: 1.7 percent
American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.3 percent
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 0.2 percent

Berkeley also reports that 19.4 percent of domestic first-year students were from out of state, excluding international students from the calculation.

The Common Data Set does not provide the in-state, out-of-state, and international application/admit breakdowns needed to calculate separate admit rates by residency. It notes that state applicant data would be available later. As a result, applicants should not use this document to calculate California resident versus nonresident admit rates.

How UC Berkeley Weighs Each Part of the Application

The admissions factor ratings are one of the most useful parts of the Common Data Set.

Rated Very Important:

Rigor of secondary school record
Academic GPA
Application essay

Rated Important:

Extracurricular activities
Character and personal qualities
Volunteer work
Work experience

Rated Considered:

Standardized test scores, with the SAT/ACT caveat explained above
Recommendations
Talent or ability
First-generation status
State residency

Rated Not Considered:

Class rank
Interview
Alumni relation
Geographic residence
Religious affiliation or commitment
Level of applicant’s interest

The pattern is clear. Berkeley is not a test-score-driven school. It is not an alumni-connection school. It is not a demonstrated-interest school. It is not a school where interviews or required teacher recommendations carry the application.

Berkeley is primarily evaluating the transcript, grades, UC essays, activities, personal qualities, service, work experience, and context.

Demonstrated Interest Does Not Matter

UC Berkeley reports that an applicant’s level of interest is Not Considered.

That means visiting campus, opening emails, attending webinars, or contacting admissions is not an admissions factor.

Applicants should still research Berkeley deeply, but not to “demonstrate interest.” The real reason to research Berkeley is to understand whether the school fits the student’s academic goals and to write stronger UC Personal Insight Questions.

Recommendations Are Not the Same as at Private Universities

Berkeley marks recommendations as Considered, but the Common Data Set also clarifies that references from first-year applicants are only considered upon request.

That is a major difference from many elite private universities. At schools where teacher and counselor recommendations are required, outside adults can add context to the application. At Berkeley, applicants should not assume that teacher letters will carry their case.

The application itself has to do the work. The transcript, activities, awards, PIQs, and applicant-provided context matter enormously.

What the Top Factors Actually Mean

The three Very Important factors are where Berkeley applications are won or lost.

Rigor of secondary school record. Berkeley wants students who challenged themselves in the context of what their school offered. AP, IB, honors, dual enrollment, advanced STEM courses, advanced humanities courses, and a serious senior-year schedule all matter.

Academic GPA. Berkeley’s enrolled GPA profile is extremely strong. A 3.75+ GPA is common among enrolled students. Strong grades are not enough by themselves, but weak grades make admission very difficult.

Application essay. In the UC system, this means the Personal Insight Questions. Berkeley rates the essay category as Very Important, so the PIQs should not be treated as generic short answers. They are one of the main places where the student can show initiative, maturity, intellectual direction, values, leadership, and context.

The UC Berkeley Applicant Strategy

A strong Berkeley application should be built around academic strength and clear personal substance.

The transcript needs to show rigor and consistency. Since regular SAT and ACT scores are not an admissions lever, and since recommendations are only considered upon request, the academic record has to stand strongly on its own.

The activities section also matters. Berkeley rates extracurricular activities, character, volunteer work, and work experience as Important. The strongest applicants should show more than participation. They should show initiative, responsibility, skill, impact, or contribution.

The PIQs should connect the dots. They should not simply repeat the activity list. Strong PIQs help Berkeley understand why the student made certain choices, what they learned, how they think, how they respond to challenges, and what they would contribute to campus.

The mistake many applicants make is treating Berkeley like a private T20 school with a UC application attached. Berkeley is different. The application succeeds through the UC system’s own categories: grades, rigor, PIQs, activities, awards, personal context, and residency context.

The Waitlist Is Large, but Not a Plan

Berkeley reports that it uses a waitlist. For Fall 2025:

Students offered a place on the waitlist: 9,102
Students accepting a place on the waitlist: 6,479
Students admitted from the waitlist: 0 listed in this file
Waitlist ranked: No

The waitlist number should be interpreted cautiously. The Common Data Set file includes a note indicating that the waitlist admit figure would be updated later. That means applicants should not treat the listed zero as a stable long-term Berkeley waitlist admit rate.

The broader strategic point still stands. A waitlist is not a backup plan. Students can accept a waitlist spot if Berkeley remains a top choice, but they should move forward seriously with another college option.

Transfer Admission Is a Major Pathway at Berkeley

UC Berkeley is also one of the most important transfer destinations in the country. The Common Data Set reports:

Transfer applications: 23,401
Transfer admits: 5,658
Transfer enrolled students: 3,055
Transfer acceptance rate: roughly 24.2 percent
Transfer yield rate: roughly 54.0 percent

That is a substantial transfer class. Berkeley’s transfer pathway is not an afterthought. For many students, especially California community college students, transfer admission is one of the most important routes into Berkeley.

Berkeley reports that transfer applicants must have 60 transferable semester units. The minimum college GPA listed is 2.4, but that should not be confused with a competitive GPA. Berkeley also states that transfer admission considers completion of prerequisite courses for the intended major and freshman/sophomore general education courses.

The transfer admit rate is higher than the first-year admit rate, but transfer admission is still highly competitive, especially for impacted majors.

Cost and Financial Aid

UC Berkeley’s listed 2025-2026 first-year costs include:

In-state tuition: $14,202
Out-of-state or nonresident tuition: $53,472
Required fees: $4,264
Food and housing on campus: $25,962
Books and supplies: $1,312
Transportation: $734
Other expenses: $8,246

Using those figures, the estimated first-year total is approximately:

California resident living on campus: $54,720
Nonresident living on campus: $93,990

The Common Data Set notes that final cost data would be available in July 2026 and that undergraduate tuition varies by cohort year. Families should therefore use Berkeley’s official cost-of-attendance and net price resources before making financial decisions.

Financial Aid Profile

For first-time, full-time first-year students receiving need-based aid, Berkeley reports:

Students who applied for need-based aid: 4,900
Students determined to have financial need: 2,837
Students awarded any financial aid: 2,783
Students awarded need-based scholarship or grant aid: 2,676
Students whose need was fully met: 957
Average percentage of need met: 88.4 percent
Average financial aid package: $39,656
Average need-based scholarship or grant: $36,226
Average need-based self-help award: $6,926
Average need-based loan: $6,355

This is important. Unlike some highly selective private universities, Berkeley does not report meeting 100 percent of need on average for first-year need-based aid recipients. The reported average need met was 88.4 percent.

Families should not judge affordability from sticker price alone, but they also should not assume Berkeley’s aid model works the same way as an Ivy League or other elite private university.

Loan Data

Among 6,389 students in the 2025 undergraduate class who started at Berkeley as first-time students and graduated with a bachelor’s degree:

1,668 borrowed from some loan source
26.1 percent borrowed from some loan source
Average cumulative borrowed amount among borrowers: $18,653
1,608 borrowed from federal loan programs
Average federal loan amount among federal borrowers: $13,659
120 borrowed private student loans
Average private loan amount among private loan borrowers: $62,896

The private loan number is especially important. Relatively few students borrowed private loans, but those who did had much higher average borrowing.

Life and Academics Once You Arrive

The Common Data Set also gives a picture of the undergraduate experience:

First-year retention rate: 97.0 percent
Six-year graduation rate: 93.7 percent for the Fall 2019 cohort
First-year students living in college-owned, operated, or affiliated housing: 90 percent
Undergraduates living in college-owned, operated, or affiliated housing: 30 percent
Domestic first-year students from out of state: 19.4 percent

The attached Common Data Set does not yet provide a completed student-to-faculty ratio. It notes that this would be included in a later release.

Class Size

Berkeley reports 3,006 undergraduate class sections in Fall 2025. The class-size breakdown was:

2 to 9 students: 679 sections
10 to 19 students: 852 sections
20 to 29 students: 427 sections
30 to 39 students: 230 sections
40 to 49 students: 168 sections
50 to 99 students: 298 sections
100+ students: 352 sections

That means about 50.9 percent of undergraduate class sections had fewer than 20 students, and about 65.1 percent had fewer than 30 students. At the same time, about 11.7 percent of class sections had 100 or more students.

This fits Berkeley’s identity. It offers both small academic settings and large public research university lecture experiences. Students should be prepared to navigate both.

Popular Academic Areas

Berkeley’s degree distribution shows major strength across computer science, social sciences, engineering, biology, math, interdisciplinary fields, and the humanities.

The largest bachelor’s degree areas reported include:

Computer and information sciences: 18.7 percent
Social sciences: 16.4 percent
Engineering: 10.3 percent
Biological and life sciences: 9.2 percent
Interdisciplinary studies: 5.3 percent
Natural resources and conservation: 4.9 percent
Mathematics and statistics: 4.6 percent
Psychology: 3.6 percent
Business and marketing: 3.6 percent
Physical sciences: 3.3 percent
Visual and performing arts: 3.3 percent
Communication and journalism: 2.8 percent
English: 2.5 percent
History: 1.1 percent

This matters for applicants because Berkeley is not just a STEM school, not just a social science school, and not just a public Ivy brand. It is a massive research university with intense demand across many academic areas.

If you are preparing a UC applications for the 2026-2027 cycle and want experienced guidance on the pieces that actually move the needle, schedule a consultation with a UC admissions expert today.

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