University of California, Berkeley Acceptance Rate: Class of 2025 Admissions Data

UC Berkeley admitted 11% of first year applicants for the Class of 2025. The university accepted 14,502 students from 126,843 applications according to its Office of Planning and Analysis. The campus reviews all first year applicants in a single regular cycle with no Early Action or Early Decision, and the University of California system is test free for admission through at least fall 2025 based on official UC admissions guidance. Because admissions data and the Common Data Set are released on a delay, the Class of 2025 is the most recent fully published cohort at the time of this writing.

Quick answer: The current verified University of California, Berkeley acceptance rate is 11% for the Class of 2025, based on 126,843 first year applications and 14,502 admits.

UC Berkeley is part of the University of California system and uses the UC application, which is due in late November for first year applicants. There is only one timeline. Berkeley does not offer Early Action or Early Decision, so every applicant is considered in the same regular round according to the UC application calendar.

Berkeley uses comprehensive, holistic review rather than a formula. Readers evaluate your academic performance in UC approved A to G courses in the context of your school, along with your activities and responses to the required Personal Insight Questions, according to campus admissions descriptions. The campus reports in its Common Data Set that it does not use quotas by major, school, or region when evaluating applicants.

The UC system is test free for undergraduate admission through at least fall 2025. UC Berkeley states that SAT or ACT scores are neither required nor considered for admissions or scholarships, and it does not report score ranges for enrolled students while this policy is in effect.

As the flagship public campus for California, Berkeley gives very important weight to state residency in its selection process. California residents receive priority consideration for admission, although Berkeley also enrolls out of state and international students each year.

From the Class of 2021 to the Class of 2025, first year applications to UC Berkeley increased by 24,777, while the number of admitted students remained relatively flat. This produced a drop in the acceptance rate from 15% to 11%, which shows that demand for Berkeley continues to outpace available space.

UC Berkeley reports freshman admission by campus in the UC systemwide freshman admission profile. For admitted California residents in the Class of 2025, the middle 50% of weighted, capped UC GPA was approximately 4.18 to 4.33, and the middle 50% of unweighted UC GPA was approximately 3.91 to 4.00.

Public profiles do not break out similar detailed GPA bands for nonresident or international admits as of the most recent data release, so those distributions remain unavailable to applicants for now.

UC Berkeley is part of a test free systemwide policy for undergraduate admission, which is in place through at least fall 2025. The campus does not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission, scholarships, or other UC Berkeley selection processes in the current cycle. As a result, Berkeley does not publish middle 50% SAT or ACT score ranges for enrolled students for these years.

According to UC Berkeley 2024 to 2025 Common Data Set information, academic performance in high school is the core driver of admissions decisions. The campus also marks several nonacademic elements as important or considered, within the bounds of state law and University of California policies.

UC Berkeley publishes an estimated undergraduate cost of attendance that includes tuition and fees, housing and food, books and supplies, personal expenses, and transportation. Actual costs will vary based on your housing choice, personal spending, and travel patterns, but the official budget offers a planning baseline for a typical nine month academic year.

These figures represent a standard budget for an undergraduate living on campus. Students who live off campus or with family will typically see different housing and transportation costs, so it is important to review the version of the budget that matches your living situation.

• UC Berkeley undergraduates are considered for need based grants, scholarships, work study, and student loans through the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office as part of a comprehensive aid package.

• Berkeley participates in the UC Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, which can cover systemwide tuition for eligible California residents who meet the program income and aid criteria.

• UC notes that more than half of California resident undergraduates across the system pay no tuition after grants and scholarships, and that a majority receive some form of grant or scholarship assistance.

• UC Berkeley offers an online net price calculator tool that lets families estimate their likely cost after grants, scholarships, and self help based on their financial information.

You cannot control UC Berkeley overall admit rate, but you can align your application with the factors the campus values most. The strategies below focus on elements that Berkeley explicitly labels as very important, important, or considered in its Common Data Set and can also help you stay competitive across the wider UC system.

The most recent fully published University of California, Berkeley acceptance rate is 11% for the Class of 2025, based on 14,502 admits out of 126,843 first year applicants reported by Berkeley Office of Planning and Analysis.

No. UC Berkeley does not offer Early Action or Early Decision for first year applicants. All applicants use the single UC application, which is due in November, and are reviewed together in one regular admissions round under the UC calendar.

No. UC Berkeley is test free for current undergraduate admission cycles. The campus does not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission decisions or for scholarship selection, and it does not publish current score ranges for enrolled students while this policy is in effect.

There is no single cutoff that guarantees admission, but admitted California residents for the Class of 2025 typically had very strong academics. The middle 50% of admitted California residents reported a weighted, capped UC GPA between about 4.18 and 4.33 and an unweighted UC GPA between about 3.91 and 4.00 in the official UC freshman admission profile for Berkeley.

Your odds at UC Berkeley will always be shaped by your academic record, context, and how you present your story, not just by the headline acceptance rate. If you want a tailored evaluation of your profile and a plan to make your UC application as strong as possible, you can connect with an Empowerly counselor to talk through your options and next steps.

Talk with an expert about your UC Berkeley strategy.