UC Berkeley accepted only 11.4% of its 126,796 applicants for the Class of 2029 — one of the lowest rates among public universities in the United States. For in-state applicants, the odds improve to 13.6%, while international candidates faced a 6.1% acceptance rate.

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Overall Acceptance Rate: 11.4% · Applicants: 126,796 · Admits: 14,451 · US News Rate: 11% · College Board Rate: 11.65%

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact acceptance rates for specific engineering majors at Berkeley
  • Class of 2029 final yield rate and enrollment numbers
  • Berkeley’s comparative admit rates for each UC campus tier
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • Class of 2030 admissions cycle opens Nov. 1 with continued high volume expected
  • Test-blind policy remains in effect; holistic review continues emphasizing GPA and coursework

Official University of California Admissions data provides the most current benchmarks for Berkeley’s admissions landscape.

Key UC Berkeley admissions figures for the Class of 2029
Metric Value
Freshman Applicants 126,796
Freshman Admits 14,451
Acceptance Rate 11.4%
Application Deadline Nov. 30
Graduation Rate 93%

What GPA do you need to get into UC Berkeley?

UC Berkeley does not use a simple cutoff, but the numbers reveal a clear pattern. The middle 50% of admitted freshmen posted high school GPAs between 4.15 and 4.29, according to University of California Admissions data. That means half of all admits exceeded a 4.29 — nearly straight A’s with AP or honors weight boosting them over the ceiling.

The system-wide minimum for UC eligibility sits at 3.0 for in-state students and 3.4 for out-of-state and international applicants, but Berkeley’s applicant pool renders those minimums functionally irrelevant. When more than 126,000 students apply, the university can afford to draw almost exclusively from the very top of the academic distribution.

What this means

For in-state applicants, a weighted GPA below 4.0 puts you well below the typical admitted student. For out-of-state and international applicants, the GPA bar is effectively even higher since fewer spots are available in those pools.

Is UC Berkeley really hard to get into?

UC Berkeley accepted only 14,451 of 126,796 first-year applicants for an 11.4% rate, per official University of California data. That places Berkeley among the most selective public universities in the United States.

The acceptance rate stabilized around 11% as the new normal after the pandemic application surge. This shift reflects both sustained high volume and Berkeley’s test-blind policy, which removed standardized scores as a differentiating factor and shifted more weight to GPA and course rigor.

Residency status creates a significant divide. In-state applicants faced a 13.6% acceptance rate versus 10.3% for out-of-state and just 6.1% for international students, according to Not Common App. The state mandate guaranteeing admission to in-state applicants in the top 9% of California high school graduates inflates the in-state rate relative to what a purely holistic review would produce.

Is Berkeley or UCLA harder?

UCLA presents a tougher overall odds situation. For the Class of 2027, UCLA admitted just 8.73% of 145,910 applicants — notably lower than Berkeley’s 11.4%, Ivy Coach reports. Both schools have seen dramatic selectivity increases over the past two decades, with UCLA’s rate plummeting from nearly 29% for the Class of 2004.

At the major level, the comparison gets more nuanced. UCLA’s School of Nursing acceptance rate was 0.9% for 2024-2025, making it one of the most competitive professional programs in the country. By contrast, Berkeley does not publish school-level freshman acceptance rates in the same way, though transfer data shows its College of Engineering accepting roughly 24% of transfer applicants.

For in-state students, the calculus differs — California residents benefit from a guaranteed pathway into the UC system if they rank in the top 9% of their graduating class, making Berkeley’s greater availability of in-state seats a meaningful advantage over UCLA’s even tighter overall numbers.

When comparing selectivity metrics side-by-side, the data reveals stark differences across multiple dimensions of admissions competitiveness.

Berkeley versus UCLA selectivity at a glance
Metric UC Berkeley UCLA
Overall Acceptance Rate 11.4% 8.73%
Class of 2029 Applications 126,796 145,910
Admits 14,451 12,737
Middle GPA Range 4.15–4.29 4.13–4.30
Engineering Rate ~24% (transfer) 6.4% (freshman)
Nursing Rate N/A 0.9%
In-State Rate 13.6% N/A
International Rate 6.1% N/A

The implication: UCLA is technically harder to get into overall, but Berkeley offers a slightly better shot for in-state residents and publishes more favorable transfer pathways into its engineering programs.

Is UC Berkeley a little ivy?

Berkeley’s 11.4% overall rate rivals some Ivy League institutions, particularly Columbia (around 4-5%) and Penn (around 6%), though it sits above Harvard and Yale in the 3-4% range.

What Berkeley lacks in the sheer selectivity of Harvard or Yale, it partially compensates with elite rankings and a similar profile in certain disciplines. The Haas School of Business and the College of Engineering draw applicants at rates that approach — and in some cases match — Ivy League selectivity for specific programs.

Berkeley’s 93% graduation rate also parallels Ivy League retention and completion metrics. When combined with its research output, Nobel laureates, and Silicon Valley feeder status, Berkeley occupies a prestige tier that justifies the comparison — even if the raw admit rate tells a different story.

The trade-off

Berkeley delivers Ivy-tier prestige at a fraction of the cost for in-state students. But its sheer size — over 45,000 students — means less individual attention than smaller Ivy classrooms, and out-of-state tuition closes the cost gap considerably.

UC Berkeley acceptance rate by major?

Unlike some peer institutions, UC Berkeley does not release detailed first-year major-specific acceptance rates for freshmen applicants. What exists is transfer-level data and broader patterns. The College of Engineering at Berkeley admitted approximately 24% of its 23,322 transfer applicants.

For comparison, UCLA publishes granular Fall 2025 major profiles showing wide variation. Aerospace Engineering admitted just 4.7% of 2,888 applicants. Computer Science accepted 7.3% of 6,806 applicants, and even broader divisions like Life Sciences admitted only 11% of applicants. The pattern is consistent: STEM programs at selective universities concentrate their selectivity in engineering and computer science majors.

International and out-of-state applicants face compounded odds regardless of intended major. Berkeley’s international acceptance rate of 6.1% versus the overall 11.4% reflects both smaller applicant pools in those categories and more limited seat allocations for non-residents.

  • In-state acceptance rate: 13.6%
  • Out-of-state acceptance rate: 10.3%
  • International acceptance rate: 6.1%
  • Transfer engineering admit rate: 24%

For applicants targeting competitive majors, the strategy often involves applying undeclared or to a less impacted major, then transferring internally — a pathway that carries its own set of GPA requirements and seat availability constraints.

Confirmed

  • 11.4% overall rate from University of California Admissions
  • 126,796 applications, 14,451 admits for Class of 2029
  • 13.6% in-state, 10.3% out-of-state, 6.1% international rates
  • GPA middle 50%: 4.15–4.29
  • 93% graduation rate

Unclear

  • Exact Berkeley engineering major freshman acceptance rates
  • Class of 2029 final enrollment and yield
  • Berkeley’s comparative rates versus other UC campuses by major

What the data shows

UCLA’s overall admission rate has plummeted over the last quarter of a century — from 28.96% for the Class of 2004 to 8.57% for the Class of 2026.

— Ivy Coach, admissions consultant

The stabilization of Berkeley’s acceptance rate around 11% means the dramatic drops seen in the early 2020s have likely plateaued.

— Not Common App, admissions analyst

Bottom line: UC Berkeley’s 11.4% acceptance rate places it among the most selective public universities in America, with in-state applicants enjoying meaningfully better odds (13.6%) than out-of-state (10.3%) or international (6.1%) candidates. Applicants targeting STEM majors face the real selectivity at the department level — UCLA’s published data suggests engineering and computer science programs at Berkeley likely admit in the single digits. In-state students get the best deal: Ivy-tier prestige at public university prices, but only if their GPA clears the 4.15 floor.

Related reading: Texas A&M rankings and facts

Additional sources

ivyscholars.com, career.berkeley.edu, collegewise.com, admission.universityofcalifornia.edu, admission.ucla.edu, admissions.berkeley.edu, admission.ucla.edu

While UC Berkeley holds steady at 11.4%, Georgia Techs 12.7% rate reflects similar intensifying competition at another engineering powerhouse.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the big 3 UC schools?

The “Big 3” UC schools — UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego — consistently rank highest among University of California campuses and draw the most competitive applicant pools. Berkeley and UCLA are generally considered the most prestigious, while UC San Diego has gained ground, particularly in STEM fields.

How does UC Berkeley rank versus UCLA?

Rankings vary by publication and criteria. U.S. News & World Report typically ranks UCLA slightly higher nationally, while Berkeley often leads in specific discipline rankings, particularly in engineering, computer science, and economics. For many students, the “best” choice depends on program strength, campus culture, and location preferences.

What is UCLA acceptance rate?

UCLA’s acceptance rate for the Class of 2027 was 8.73%, according to Ivy Coach. This makes UCLA more selective overall than Berkeley’s 11.4%, though both schools fall well below the 50th-percentile selectivity of four-year universities in the United States.

How does UC Berkeley compare to the Ivy Leagues?

Berkeley’s 11.4% acceptance rate sits comfortably above most Ivy League institutions (which range from 3-6%), but below the most selective Ivy League schools. What Berkeley shares with the Ivies is its research output, reputation, selectivity, and a 93% graduation rate that mirrors Ivy League completion metrics. It lacks the need-blind financial aid policies and smaller class sizes that characterize Ivy League experiences.

Is Berkeley harder to get into than Harvard?

Berkeley’s 11.4% rate is considerably higher than Harvard’s approximately 3-4% acceptance rate. The comparison only favors Berkeley when looking at in-state rates (13.6%) versus Harvard’s out-of-state California applicant data, which remains similarly ultra-competitive.

What is UC Berkeley acceptance rate for master’s programs?

Graduate program acceptance rates at Berkeley vary dramatically by department. Medical school acceptance rates for UC Berkeley applicants ranged from 14.3% to 32.2% between 2021 and 2025, according to UC Berkeley Career Engagement. Other programs, particularly in competitive fields like computer science and business, can admit under 5% of applicants.

What are UC Berkeley admissions requirements?

UC Berkeley requires completion of the UC application, including a minimum 3.0 GPA for California residents (3.4 for non-residents), completion of A-G course requirements, and submission of personal insight questions. The university is test-blind, meaning SAT and ACT scores are not considered. Holistic review weighs GPA, course rigor, personal achievements, and supplemental materials.