University of California-Berkeley
University of California-Berkeley Summary
What makes University of California-Berkeley unique?
The University of California Berkeley or UC Berkeley is a public institution that was founded in 1868. Located in Berkeley, California, this school was the first campus that was built in the University of California System and offers over 130 academic departments and 80 interdisciplinary research groups with the business school, computer engineering, and biological sciences programs ranking in the top nationally. UC Berkeley has a total undergraduate enrollment of around 32,000 students that take classes according to a semester-based academic calendar. Prospective students should note that California residents receive in-state tuition at a much lower rate than applicants from out-of-state.
UC Berkeley has a history of student-based political action and discussion and was the center of the Free Speech Movement, which began in 1964 and fueled opposition to segregation and the Vietnam War. The graduation rate at UC Berkeley is an impressive 91.9%, thanks in part to the student-to-faculty ratio of 19:1.
UC Berkeley is known for its campus architecture, but the University Botanical Garden also draws international attention with over 10,000 types of plant species. Beyond academics, UC Berkeley athletic teams, represented by their campus mascot Oski the Bear, compete in the PAC-12 with an annual football rivalry with Stanford. Notable alumni include U.S. women’s soccer star Alex Morgan, actor Gregory Peck, and the legendary queen of Americana cuisine, Alice Waters.
University of California-Berkeley Review
Degree Overview
Check out the most popular majors and specific degrees students have earned at University of California-Berkeley.
*Sources for school statistics and data include the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Data may vary depending on school and academic year.
* Number of people in 2019 that graduated with this degree and study level
* Number of people in 2019 that graduated with this degree and study level
* Number of people in 2019 that graduated with this degree and study level
* Number of people in 2019 that graduated with this degree and study level
Online Programs
Check out the online programs offered at University of California-Berkeley.
Accreditation Information
Specialized Institution Accreditations
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
- Didactic Program in Dietetics
American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
- Law (LAW) - Professional schools
American Optometric Association, Accreditation Council on Optometric Education
- Optometry (OPT) - Professional degree programs
- Optometry (OPTR) - Residency programs (School of Optometry)
American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation
- Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
- Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs (Tang Center - Counseling and Psychological Services)
- School Psychology (SCPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
Council on Education for Public Health
- Public Health (PHBG) - Baccalaureate and Graduate level school of public health
* Source data obtained from U.S. Department of Education's Office of Post-secondary Education (OPE)
Alumni & Student Reviews
Career Preparation
What letter grade would you give your school on how well it prepares students for a career in the real world?
Based on 35 Reviews-
Alumni
Engineering Science, Class of 2015Career fairs Online searchable database
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Alumni
Genetics, Class of 1970Don't know. Graduated long time ago
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Alumni
Biophysics, Class of 1991Meeting alums, internships, interschool opportunities, studies abroad, career counseling, lab/applied classes.
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Alumni
Humanities, Class of 1983Internships and public-private partnerships plus alumni networking.
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Alumni
Psychology, Class of 2003None that I can remember
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Alumni
Political Science, Class of 1982Ideally, the ability to think.
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Alumni
Chemical Biology, Class of 2013Career Office, employer fairs, employment portal.
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Alumni
Sociology, Class of 1990There were employment recruiters on campus, but other than that, in 1990, I don't recall a whole lot of preparation for "the real world" for students with ambiguous liberal arts degrees
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Alumni
Linguistics , Class of 2004It's hard to say what they provide students nowadays. There was a career fair when I was there. The Alumni Association has a lot of networking.
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Alumni
MS Electrical Engineering, Class of 1981Reputation as one of the best schools in the world
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Alumni
BS, Class of 1977Don't know about now; not very good then.
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Alumni
Cognitive Science, Class of 2006There is a career center and there are on campus interviews for companies
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Alumni
PhD- Molecular and Cell Biology, Class of 2002extensive alumni connections, elite technical training at graduate level
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Alumni
Anthropology, Class of 2011Not much in the realm of anthropology
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Alumni
Political Science, Class of 1980No idea. None I can recall from when I attended.
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Alumni
BS Agricultural Economics, Class of 1980Not sure about today, but I thought UCD prepared the student for more school vs. "real world"
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Alumni
mathematics, Class of 1980I am not familiar with what is available now.
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Alumni
BA, Sociology, Class of 2003First class curriculum, accessible faculty, internship opportunities
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Alumni
pre law / environmental studies, Class of 1996reading, writing, presentations, working in groups, technical skills, depending on the class
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Alumni
EECS, Class of 1990What do they provide now? I have no idea. My data is 25 years old. Back then they had career fairs and onsite corporate interviews.
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Alumni
Business, Class of 1996Haas Career Center and Undergrad Career Center
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Alumni
Sociology, Class of 2002I don't recall any when I attended.
Students and Culture
What letter grade would you give the students/culture at your school?
Based on 35 Reviews-
Alumni
History of Art, Class of 1995Diverse. Fun. Best in class.
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Alumni
Genetics, Class of 1970Diverse, pursuit of good education
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Alumni
Social Welfare, Class of 1996I made most of my closest friends once I entered my career. I do not have close ties to anyone from UCB.
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Alumni
Math, political science, Class of 2005Can't meaningfully summarize in this little box in the time I care to spend here, unfortunately
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Alumni
Political Science, Class of 1982It's very competitive now. Back then, it was just big and easy to get lost in the pack.
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Alumni
Chemical Biology, Class of 2013Students were open minded and diverse.
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Alumni
Linguistics , Class of 2004It's a big school, so you can always make friends.
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Alumni
English, Class of 1988Intelligent, liberal, more open-minded, serious about school, socially conscious
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Alumni
Development Studies, Class of 2007Active student body, many extracurricular activities and organizations. Academic focus.
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Alumni
Integrative Biology, Class of 2014liberal tryhards that are mostly good people but a little to apt to get offended and a little to stressed to be that nice
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Alumni
Cognitive Science, Class of 2006Diverse student body, liberal students, very competitive
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Alumni
Anthropology, Class of 2011laid back yet determined and prosperous at the same time
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Alumni
Enhlish, Class of 2005Every person is for themselves. Very isolating place.
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Alumni
Business, Class of 1996very hard working, driven, street smart. but CAL wasn't a school like Stanford that has built in networking w/Alums. it took more time to develop for me.
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Alumni
Sociology, Class of 2002I am not entirely sure what this question means, but I remember UCD as being a school with a diverse assortment of people from all ages and cultures.
Facilities
What letter grade would you give the facilities at your school.
Based on 35 Reviews-
Alumni
Engineering Science, Class of 2015Lots of libraries, small dorms, lots of dining halls of varying quality
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Alumni
BS EE, Class of 1972everything that you would expect
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Alumni
MA Folklore, Class of 2010Library, basement computer lab, folklore archive.
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Alumni
Legal Studies, Class of 1986The dorms were old but they have constructed some new residence halls.
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Alumni
Political Science, Class of 1982C'mon - our computers had punch cards then. I assume things have been upgraded since then.
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Alumni
Chemical Biology, Class of 2013They were average depending on the facility. Some were great others were not so much. It was up to the student to find out where to go.
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Alumni
Sociology, Class of 1990Again, this was 25 years ago. At the time it seemed fairly advanced - I could not even speak to what it is like now. I am sure it is quite cutting edge
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Alumni
English, Class of 1988All sufficient, the new dorm/suites were very nice, there's been a lot of improvements since I attended school there.
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Alumni
Development Studies, Class of 2007Normal. Student cooperatives are great.
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Alumni
Cognitive Science, Class of 2006Facilities are moderate but efficient. There are some computer labs, the dorms can house most incoming freshman, dining halls were recently renovated when I was a student
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Alumni
PhD- Molecular and Cell Biology, Class of 2002was a graduate student, did not use much of these beyond classrooms. Those were excellent
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Alumni
BS Agricultural Economics, Class of 1980Very nice and continually upgraded
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Alumni
mathematics, Class of 1980varied - some are state of the art, others are a bit long in the tooth.
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Alumni
pre law / environmental studies, Class of 1996a bit run down but full of character.
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Alumni
Business, Class of 1996Everything was pretty good at Haas. Modern, new business school when i was there and i stayed in super plush School for Deaf, Clark Kerr dorm.
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Alumni
Biomedical Science , Class of 2002Good, upgraded dorms, nice science facility.
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Alumni
Sociology, Class of 2002I remember them as being excellent.
Activities and Groups
What overall letter grade would you give the activities/groups at your school?
Based on 35 Reviews-
Alumni
Economics, Class of 1980study abroad is very good
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Alumni
Social Welfare, Class of 1996I did not participate. I had a small child and was focused on getting a degree rapidly.
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Alumni
Humanities, Class of 1983Every imaginable social group and interest club.
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Alumni
Legal Studies, Class of 1986There is something for everyone.
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Alumni
Political Science, Class of 1982Trying to steal the axe from Stanford.
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Alumni
Linguistics , Class of 2004Not sure. There are so many.
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Alumni
English, Class of 1988There were a lot of unique people from the community who would hang around campus like the polka dot man and the poetry lady. There were a lot of mentally ill and homeless in the area too. There were student groups for pretty much every type of person.
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Alumni
Cognitive Science, Class of 2006I'm not familiar with any particular groups, but would say there are probably many more group activities than the typical school
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Alumni
Anthropology, Class of 2011I loved working with some of the student run organizations
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Alumni
Political Science, Class of 1980This question isn't relevant to someone who graduated 35 years ago
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Alumni
Enhlish, Class of 2005A large variety of cultural clubs and organizations.
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Alumni
BS Agricultural Economics, Class of 1980Not sure about unique, but environment was full of activities, etc.
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Alumni
BA, Sociology, Class of 2003various clubs for social change and diversity and inclusion, D1 sports teams, long-standing school traditions
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Alumni
pre law / environmental studies, Class of 1996athletic events, parties, public discussions
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Alumni
Business, Class of 1996I don't know, been a long time. really broad question.
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Alumni
Sociology, Class of 2002I didn't really attend the activities.
Questions & Answers
“ Who are the notable alumni? ”
1 Answer-
Before Gregory Peck played Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, John Cho took on a title role in the Harold and Kumar series, and Chris Pine landed the coveted part of James Tiberius Kirk in the reboot of Star Trek, these three actors all earned English degrees at Cal. And his MBA in economics and management undoubtedly influenced the career of Scott Adams, first in the corporate world and then as the creator of the comic strip “Dilbert.” Other famous folks who once made the campus home include Girlfriends’ Guide series writer Vicki Iovine, Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, Pong (the videogame, not the beer contest) creator Allan Alcorn, former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, and Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
“ What is the campus setting like? ”
1 Answer-
Bright minds from throughout the world come to this urban academic oasis overlooking the San Francisco Bay. They enter a place known not only for top-notch facilities but also for plenty of activity outside the classroom. The university boasts more than 1,000 student organizations, and roughly 10 percent of undergrads go Greek. Lambda Chi Alpha’s Daffodil Festival has been a popular spring event since the 1940s when the beautiful yellow flowers first began being sold around campus to raise money for charity. But what often comes to mind when people think of Cal is its liberal student activism. Berkeley gained national attention in 1964 for The Free Speech Movement, a student protest in response to the administration’s ban on political activity. Since then, Cal students have been vocal about many causes, ranging from women’s rights to ending apartheid in South Africa.
“ What are the online learning and extension/adult learning opportunities? ”
1 Answer-
From mystery fiction to biological psychology, UC Berkeley offers a variety of undergraduate classes online. Companies often turn to Cal to provide training for their employees in areas such as leadership, team facilitation, and sales. And if you want to earn a certificate in a field such as graphic design, drug and alcohol abuse studies, construction management, or teaching English as a second language, Cal likely has a professional program to suit your schedule.
“ What are the athletic highlights? ”
1 Answer-
Before Aaron Rodgers became a Green Bay Packer, he served as quarterback for the Golden Bears. But the sports program covers a much greater range than just football. As of 2015, Cal athletic history included 89 national team titles in 15 different sports. The rugby team has been a powerhouse since the 1980s with no signs of letting up in the 21st century. The outstanding swimming and diving program has produced the likes of Matt Biondi, Mary Meagher, Natalie Coughlin, and Missy Franklin. What gets the average Cal student most excited, though, are any contests against rival Stanford University.
“ What are the school's academic highlights? ”
1 Answer-
Pick any academic discipline and Cal likely has been a player in its advancement. Credit Cal professors for discovering both Vitamin E and Vitamin K, drafting no-fault divorce law, setting up the Western Hemisphere’s first string of seismographic stations to monitor earthquakes, and inventing canned fruit cocktail. During World War II, physics professor J. Robert Oppenheimer directed the U.S. government laboratory at Los Alamos, New Mexico— site of the atomic bomb development. Today, the university continues to impact the world with its research, which spans from the role of copper in neuron signaling to the potential of using renewable energy technologies in urban areas.