Berkeley, California

UC Berkeley Admission Requirements

Q: 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.

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

15% 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 .

Q: What SAT score is required for University of California Berkeley?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have SAT scores between 1320 and 1530. 79% of students submit SAT scores when applying. See if your SAT score is good enough for admission .

Q: What ACT score is required for University of California Berkeley?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have ACT scores between 31 and 35. 50% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission .

Chances of getting into University of California Berkeley

University of California Berkeley

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University of California Berkeley

Acceptance Rate

14.8%

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 school has a 15% acceptance rate ranking it #9 in California for lowest rate of acceptance. Last year, 13,301 out of 89,607 applicants were admitted making UC Berkeley a very highly competitive school to get into with a low chance of acceptance for typical applicants. Academically, it has exceptionally high requirements for admission test scores, generally admitting students who score in the top 8 percent. University of California Berkeley typically accepts and attracts "A-" average high school students. Only 45% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school. Most incoming freshmen graduated in the top ten percent of their high school class.

UC Berkeley SAT Scores

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Range

1320-1530

Applicants Submitting SAT

79%

SAT Scores for University of California Berkeley
SAT Test	25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 25th	650
SAT Math 25th	670
SAT Composite 25th	1320

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	1430

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 typically requires applicants to be in the top 10 percent of SAT test takers. The school consistently takes SAT composite scores down to 1320 on a 1600 scale, below which admission should be considered a reach. We estimate some students could be accepted with SAT's as low as 1210. The estimated average SAT composite for admitted freshman is 1430 out of 1600. The school ranks #6 in California for highest average SAT composite score. A competitive SAT score is critical as 79 percent of applicants submit SAT scores to the school. Note: SAT scores presented on this page have been adjusted upwards per the College Board's concordance tables for test takers after March 2016.

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2018 starting class

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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	>23%
1425 to 1530	Avg +	15%-23%
1320 to 1425	Avg -	9%-15%
1215 to 1320	Reach	6%-9%
Less than 1215	Low	<6%

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UC Berkeley ACT Scores

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Range

31-35

Applicants Submitting ACT

50%

ACT Scores for University of California Berkeley
ACT Test	25th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 25th	29
ACT Math 25th	28
ACT Composite 25th	31

ACT Scores for University of California Berkeley
ACT Test	75th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 75th	35
ACT Math 75th	35
ACT Composite 75th	35
Average ACT Score	33

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

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

Admission data indicates that UC Berkeley regularly accepts students with ACT's of 31 and above. Successful applicants typically send ACT scores in the top 5 percent nationally. We estimate the school accepting minimum ACT composite scores around 29 in some instances. Prospective students submitting an ACT composite of 33 or higher should be in the upper half of applicants - and students with a 35 and above have very competitive chances. The school ranks #3 in California for highest average ACT composite score. 50 percent of applicants submit ACT scores to University of California Berkeley.

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2018 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	>23%
33 to 35	Avg +	15%-23%
31 to 33	Avg -	9%-15%
29 to 31	Reach	6%-9%
Less than 29	Low	<6%

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Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Avg. High School GPA

3.86

Typical High School Grades

A-

You will need exceptionally good grades to get into University of California Berkeley. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at University of California Berkeley was 3.86 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?

High School GPA's for admitted University of California Berkeley students
High School GPA	Freshmen Within Range	Competitiveness
3.75+	83%	Good
3.50 to 3.75	11%	Reach
3.25 to 3.50	3%	Reach
3.00 to 3.25	2%	Reach
2.75 to 3.00	1%	Reach
2.50 to 2.75	N/A%	Low
2.25 to 2.50	N/A%	Low
2.00 to 2.25	N/A%	Low

GPA Data Source, Wintergreen Orchard House

High School Class Rank

98% of University of California Berkeley freshman were in the top ten percent of their high school graduating class.

High School Class Rank for admitted University of California Berkeley students
High School Class Rank	Freshmen Within Range
Top 10% of class	98%
Top 25% of class	100%
Top 50% of class	0%
Bottom 50% of class	0%
Bottom 25% of class	0%

Data Sources, Wintergreen Orchard House

Admission Statistics

University of California Berkeley admission statistics
	Women	Men	Total
Applied	46,055	43,552	89,607
Accepted	7,716	5,585	13,301
Acceptance Rate	17%	13%	15%
Enrolled	3,350	2,662	6,012
Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield)	43%	48%	45%

Fall 2020 Application Deadline

Applications were Due

Nov 30, 2019

Days left to Apply

None

The application deadline for Fall 2020 has passed. Applications were due on Nov 30, 2019.

Admission Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to University of California Berkeley and what considerations affect admission decisions?

University of California Berkeley Admission Requirements
Test Scores	Required
High School GPA	Required
High School Class Rank	Neither required nor recommended
Completion of College Preparatory Program	Required
Recommendations	Neither required nor recommended
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

University of California Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

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

Frequently Asked Questions

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?

15% 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 1320 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 31 and 35. 50% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission.