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#5 Best Public Universities in America

UC Berkeley Admission Requirements

Berkeley, California

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Chances of getting into University of California Berkeley

Acceptance Rate

Admitted 
14%
Admission Difficulty for University of California Berkeley
Measure Difficulty
Admission Standards Elite 
Applicant Competition Very High 
How hard is it to get into UC Berkeley and can I get accepted?

The acceptance rate at UC Berkeley is 14%.  It ranks #8 in California and #43 in the nation for lowest rate of acceptance. UC Berkeley is a very highly competitive school to get into with a low chance of acceptance for typical applicants. Last year, 16,295 out of 112,843 applicants were admitted.

The school has exceptionally high admission requirements, generally admitting students who can score in the top 9 percent on standardized admission tests. University of California Berkeley typically accepts and attracts "A-" average high school students with an average GPA around 3.87. 43% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school.

The UC Berkeley application fee is $70 and applications are due by Nov 30.

Test Optional

Submission of SAT or ACT scores is not required or recommended by University of California Berkeley.

UC Berkeley SAT Scores

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Range 
1310-1530
Applicants Submitting SAT 
79%
SAT Scores for University of California Berkeley
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 25th 650
SAT Math 25th 660
SAT Composite 25th 1310
SAT Scores for University of California Berkeley
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 75th 740
SAT Math 75th 790
SAT Composite 75th 1530
Average SAT Score 1420

SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to University of California Berkeley?

University of California Berkeley is a test optional school meaning applicants are not required to submit SAT scores with their application. The position on SAT scores from the school is "neither required nor recommended".

Students who get into University of California Berkeley score in the top 11 percent of all SAT test takers.. The SAT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 1310-1530.

Find other colleges with similar SAT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

University of California Berkeley admission chances by SAT score
SAT Score (1600 scale) Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
1530 and Above Good >24%
1420 to 1530 Avg + 14%-24%
1310 to 1420 Avg - 8%-14%
1200 to 1310 Reach 4%-8%
Less than 1200 Low <4%
Calculate My Chances 

UC Berkeley ACT Scores

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Range 
30-35 
Applicants Submitting ACT 
50%
ACT Scores for University of California Berkeley
ACT Test 25th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 25th 27
ACT Math 25th 27
ACT Composite 25th 30
ACT Scores for University of California Berkeley
ACT Test 75th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 75th 35
ACT Math 75th 34
ACT Composite 75th 35
Average ACT Score 32

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into UC Berkeley?

University of California Berkeley is test optional. Students are not required to submit ACT scores with their application. The policy on ACT scores is "neither required nor recommended".

UC Berkeley regularly accepts students who score 30 and above on the ACT. These students typically score in the top 7 percent nationally. The ACT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 30-35.

Find other colleges with similar ACT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

University of California Berkeley admission chances by ACT score
ACT Score Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
35 and Above Good >26%
32 to 35 Avg + 14%-26%
30 to 32 Avg - 9%-14%
28 to 30 Reach 6%-9%
Less than 28 Low <6%
Calculate My Chances 

UC Berkeley GPA

Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Avg. High School GPA 
3.87
Typical High School Grades 
A-

What GPA do you need to get into University of California Berkeley?

Applicants require exceptionally good grades to get into UC Berkeley. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at University of California Berkeley was 3.87 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily A- students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #13 in California for highest average GPA. Meeting these GPA requirements alone is not enough to gain admission as UC Berkeley is a very selective school.

 What do these ratings mean?

Explore more colleges with similar GPA requirements

High School GPA's for admitted University of California Berkeley students
High School GPA Freshmen Within Range Competitiveness 
4.0 33.0% Good
3.75 to 3.99 50.4% Avg -
3.50 to 3.74 12.9% Reach
3.25 to 3.49 2.7% Reach
3.00 to 3.24 0.7% Reach
2.50 to 2.99 0.2% Reach
2.00 to 2.49 0.1% Low
1.00 to 1.99 0% Low
less than 1.00 0% Low

GPA Data Source, Peterson's Data 2022

Applying

Admission Statistics

University of California Berkeley admission statistics
Women Men Total
Applied 59,282 53,561 112,843
Accepted 9,970 6,325 16,295
Acceptance Rate 17% 12% 14%
Enrolled 3,975 2,956 6,931
Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) 40% 47% 43%
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Fall 2023 Application Deadline

Applications were Due
Nov 30, 2022
Days left to Apply
None

The application deadline for Fall 2023 has passed. Applications were due on Nov 30, 2022.

Application Fee

The cost for prospective students to apply to University of California Berkeley is $70.

Application Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to University of California Berkeley and what student information is used for admission decisions?

University of California Berkeley Application Requirements
Test Scores Neither required nor recommended
High School GPA Required
High School Class Rank Neither required nor recommended
Completion of College Preparatory Program Neither required nor recommended
Recommendations Considered but not required
Demonstration of Competencies Neither required nor recommended

Credits Accepted

High School Credits Accepted at University of California Berkeley
AP Credit Yes
Dual Credit No
Credit for Life Experiences No
Other Colleges to Consider 

Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=110635 IPEDS survey data for University of California Berkeley.

FAQs

Does University of California Berkeley prefer SAT or ACT?

79% of students submit their SAT scores to UC Berkeley. 50% of applicants send their ACT scores when applying.

What is my chance of getting into University of California Berkeley?

14% of those who apply are granted admission to UC Berkeley. Admission competition is very high and the college has elite admission standards. See if your grades and scores are good enough for admission.

What SAT score is required for University of California Berkeley?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have SAT scores between 1310 and 1530. 79% of students submit SAT scores when applying. See if your SAT score is good enough for admission.

What ACT score is required for University of California Berkeley?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have ACT scores between 30 and 35. 50% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission.