UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate Class of 2030

For the Class of 2030, Berkeley admitted 13,967 first-year students from 133,154 total applicants, for an overall acceptance rate of 10.5%.

Two things define Berkeley admissions right now:

First, record-breaking selectivity. Berkeley reclaimed its position as the most selective campus in the entire UC system for fall 2026, edging out UCLA (10.8%) for the first time in several years. Applications surged to an all-time high of over 133,000 while admission offers decreased.

Second, Berkeley remains test-blind. Under the UC system-wide policy in effect since 2020, SAT and ACT scores are not considered in admissions decisions, even if submitted. GPA, course rigor, and the UC Personal Insight Questions are the primary drivers of admissions decisions.

Berkeley publishes its admissions factors and enrolled class profile through its annual Common Data Set (“CDS”). The most recent complete CDS is the 2025-2026 edition, covering the enrolled Class of 2029.

UC Berkeley Acceptance Rates

UC Berkeley Historical Acceptance Rates

Berkeley’s acceptance rate fell to a record-low 10.5% for the Class of 2030 after holding between 11.0% and 14.4% over the previous four cycles. The decline is partly due to surging application volume. Applications have risen 18% since the Class of 2025, while the number of admitted students has actually decreased.

When the UC system removed standardized testing requirements in 2020, applications to Berkeley began climbing. From the Class of 2025 (112,835 applications) to the Class of 2030 (133,154), Berkeley added more than 20,000 applications, an 18% increase, while cutting admission offers from 16,295 to 13,967.

The Class of 2030 saw a decline in California resident admits. Berkeley admitted 9,445 Californians for fall 2026, a 14% decline from the previous year. California students made up 68% of first-year admission offers, down from roughly 75-80% in earlier years. The 18% nonresident enrollment cap set by UC Regents policy limits how many out-of-state and international students Berkeley can enroll.

The UC Application and Berkeley’s Test-Blind Policy

If you are building your application timeline, internalize this. the University of California uses a single application for all nine undergraduate campuses. There is no Early Decision. There is no Early Action. Every applicant files during the same window. The UC Application opens August 1 and closes November 30, with decisions released by March 31. If admitted, you have until May 1 to submit your Statement of Intent to Register.

This means there is no early-round strategic lever to pull at Berkeley. Unlike Ivy League peers that offer binding ED rates two to three times higher than their regular rates, every Berkeley applicant faces the same 10.5% odds in the same pool.

Berkeley is test-blind. Under UC system-wide policy, SAT and ACT scores are not considered for admissions or scholarships, even if submitted. Berkeley’s CDS 2025-2026 leaves every SAT and ACT percentile blank and reports that scores are “Not Considered” for the fall 2027 application cycle (Class of 2031).

Berkeley rates three factors as “Very Important” in its admissions review:

1. (1) rigor of secondary school record,

2. (2) academic GPA, and

3. (3) application essay (the four UC Personal Insight Questions).

Standardized test scores, despite appearing in the CDS under “Considered,” are functionally not used in admissions decisions under the current test-blind policy.

Your transcript and your Personal Insight Questions are the application. There is no testing shortcut and no early-round advantage. Your residency status changes your odds more than almost any other single factor.

The Residency Breakdown (and Why It Matters)

At Berkeley, where you live matters almost as much as how you apply. Because the UC system is a public university funded by California taxpayers, California residents receive priority in admissions, and the numbers reflect this.

For the Class of 2030, the California acceptance rate of 12.4% was more than double the international rate of 5.4%. That gap is significant and consistent across cycles.

The financial dimension of residency

Because Berkeley is a public university, where you live also determines what you pay. California residents pay $18,214 in tuition and fees for 2026-2027. Out-of-state and international students pay an additional $39,270 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition, bringing their tuition and fees to $57,484, which is more than three times the resident rate. Unlike at private universities where every student pays the same sticker price before financial aid, at Berkeley the residency question is both an admissions question and a $39,270-per-year cost question.

International students should also know that UC Berkeley does not offer need-based institutional financial aid to international undergraduates. Nearly all funding for international students comes from outside scholarships, family resources, or competitive merit awards like the Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarship.

Berkeley’s Colleges and Schools

Berkeley is organized into colleges and schools, each with distinct academic programs. When you apply through the UC Application, you select a major (or apply undeclared within the College of Letters & Science), and your major determines which college reviews your application. Admission competitiveness varies significantly by discipline, so your major choice is itself a strategic admissions decision.

The following data reflects admission rates by discipline for fall 2025 (the most recent cycle with published discipline-level data).

The table tells you that your chosen discipline shapes your chances at Berkeley more than almost any other factor you can control. A student applying to Arts & Humanities (25.3% acceptance rate) faces an entirely different admissions landscape than one applying to Business (4.5%) or Computer Science (6.5%). At Berkeley, your academic interest declaration is not an afterthought. it is a first-order admissions decision.

The most selective programs (Public Health, Haas Business, and Computer Science) admit at rates competitive with the most elite private universities in the country. If you are applying to one of these fields, your application strategy should reflect that level of selectivity. Students can request to change majors after enrolling, but internal transfers into competitive programs are not guaranteed and may have additional requirements. To initiate the process, Berkeley highly recommends that your Undergrad Major Adviser guide you through it.

UC Berkeley’s Enrolled Class Profile. Who Gets In?

GPA

Berkeley does not publish SAT or ACT score data because of its test-blind policy. GPA is the clearest numerical indicator of academic strength.

For the enrolled Class of 2029, the GPA distribution was:

That means 89.9% of enrolled students had a GPA of 3.75 or higher. For the Class of 2030 admitted class, the middle 50% unweighted GPA was 3.90-4.00, and the middle 50% weighted GPA was 4.36-4.72, according to Berkeley’s student profile.

Test Scores

Berkeley is test-blind under UC system-wide policy. SAT and ACT scores are not considered in admissions decisions, and Berkeley’s CDS 2025-2026 leaves all SAT and ACT percentile fields blank.

Academic Distribution

Computer Science is the most popular field at Berkeley. The following reflects the share of bachelor’s degrees conferred, which indicates the academic weight of each area:

Demographics (Enrolled Class of 2029, CDS 2025-2026)

For the Class of 2030, Berkeley has released limited additional data. 23% of admitted first-year students are first-generation college students, approximately 10% are international students arriving from more than 72 countries, and more than 9,400 admitted students are California residents representing 48 of the state’s 58 counties.

Berkeley has operated under race-neutral admissions since 1998, when California’s Proposition 209 prohibited the use of race in public university admissions.

What Berkeley Weighs Most in Admissions

The following factors are drawn from Berkeley’s CDS (2025-2026).

Berkeley wants a focused picture built on academic preparation and the personal narrative you tell through your essays. Only three factors reach “Very Important”, which is fewer than most Ivy League peers. Those three factors (rigor, GPA, and essays) are the core of your application.

Demonstrated interest is “Not Considered.” Berkeley does not track campus visits, email opens, or event attendance. Your application speaks for itself.

Alumni relations are “Not Considered.” Unlike many private universities, Berkeley gives no preference to children of alumni. This is UC system-wide policy. Legacy status plays no role in admissions at any UC campus.

At Berkeley, admissions review is built almost entirely on what you submit in writing. your transcript, course selections, and four Personal Insight Questions. There are no interviews, no legacy bumps, and no test scores to lean on. What you put on the page is what gets evaluated.

Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid at UC Berkeley

Berkeley is a public university, and its cost structure differs fundamentally from private institutions. The biggest variable is residency. California residents pay roughly $39,270 less per year than out-of-state and international students.

Estimated Cost of Attendance (2026-2027, New Students, On-Campus Residence Hall)

Note. Out-of-state and international students pay $39,270 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition in addition to the base tuition and fees. The total cost for out-of-state students living on campus is $93,944. This cost approaches the cost of attendance at the most expensive private universities, but without the same level of institutional financial aid that many private schools offer to out-of-state families.

What Changes the Cost Equation?

Berkeley’s financial aid program has three pillars:

Tuition covered for California families under $100,000. Through a combination of the UC Blue & Gold Opportunity Plan, Cal Grants, UC Berkeley grants, and federal Pell Grants, California residents with family income under $100,000 and demonstrated financial need can have systemwide tuition and fees fully covered. In fact, more than half of all California undergraduates at UC pay no tuition.

Middle Class Scholarship for families up to $250,000. California’s Middle Class Scholarship program provides additional grant funding for undergraduate California residents with family income and assets up to $250,000. The California Student Aid Commission determines award amounts based on income, other aid received, and state funding levels.

Two-thirds of Berkeley students receive financial aid. Berkeley disburses over $900 million in financial aid annually. The university is need-blind for domestic applicants. Applying for financial aid does not affect the admissions decision. However, international students are not eligible for federal financial aid or institutional need-based aid managed by Berkeley’s Financial Aid Office.

Aid by the Numbers (CDS 2025-2026, Enrolled Class of 2029)

Strengthening Your UC Berkeley Application

Frequently Asked Questions

What is UC Berkeley’s acceptance rate for the Class of 2030?

Berkeley admitted 13,967 students from 133,154 applicants for an overall acceptance rate of 10.5%, according to UCOP preliminary admissions data and Berkeley’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions (July 2026). This was a record low, down from 11.4% for the Class of 2029, driven by an all-time high in applications and fewer offers of admission.

Does UC Berkeley have Early Decision or Early Action?

No. The UC system does not offer Early Decision or Early Action at any campus. All applicants submit the UC Application between October 1 and November 30 each year, and Berkeley releases decisions by March 31. There is no early-round advantage to leverage.

Is UC Berkeley test-optional or test-blind?

Test-blind. Under UC system-wide policy, SAT and ACT scores are not considered for admissions or scholarships, even if submitted. Berkeley’s CDS 2025-2026 leaves all SAT/ACT percentile fields blank. Scores may still be used for course placement after enrollment.

What GPA do I need for UC Berkeley?

Berkeley does not publish a minimum GPA. However, among enrolled Class of 2029 students, the average high school GPA was 3.90 and 89.9% had a 3.75 or higher. For the Class of 2030 admitted class, the middle 50% unweighted GPA was 3.90-4.00, and the middle 50% weighted GPA was 4.36-4.72.

Is UC Berkeley need-blind?

Yes, for domestic applicants. Applying for financial aid does not affect the admissions decision for U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens. International students should be aware that Berkeley does not offer need-based institutional aid for international undergraduates.

What does UC Berkeley cost after financial aid?

For California residents, the sticker price for 2026-2027 is $54,674 (on-campus residence hall). But families earning under $100,000 with demonstrated need can have tuition fully covered through UC grants, Blue & Gold, Cal Grants, and Pell Grants. 54% of California undergrads pay no tuition. For aided students, the average financial aid package is $39,656, and Berkeley meets an average of 88% of demonstrated need.

How is UC Berkeley different from Ivy League schools in admissions?

Berkeley is a public university, which means residency determines both your acceptance odds and your cost. California residents are admitted at around 12% and pay $18,214 in tuition. international students are admitted at 5.4% and pay $57,484. Berkeley has no Early Decision, no legacy preference, no admissions interviews, and is test-blind. This removes several strategic levers available at private institutions. Berkeley also admits by academic discipline rather than university-wide, making your major choice an admissions-level decision.

Trying to figure out whether Berkeley’s acceptance rate by discipline favors your intended major, and how to position your Personal Insight Questions for a test-blind review? Empowerly’s counselors help students build the transcript, the UC Application strategy, and the four PIQs that Berkeley rewards.

Book a consultation today to start mapping your strategy.