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UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate for Indian Students

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UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate
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One of the most prestigious universities in the world, the University of California, Berkeley Campus (UCB) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. UCB is one of the best study abroad universities for international students, as UC Berkeley ranking has been consistent among the top 30 global universities for more than a decade now. 

Students across the globe apply for UC Berkeley admissions. However, only a fraction of candidates secure enrolment due to the competitive nature of the university. When it comes to the the university's rankings, UC Berkeley stood at #17 in National Universities, #2 in Top Public Schools, and #17 in QS World University Rankings 2026. The university offers more than 300 diverse degree programs to choose from. Moreover, the university's Indian Students Association boasts 40 council members who help promote Indian culture and make Indian students feel at home.

University of California, Berkeley Campus Acceptance Rate 2025

As per the official data provided by UC Berkeley for the class of 2029, UC Berkeley received almost 126,800 applications, of which approximately 14,500 were admitted. The number of enrolled students was, however, around 6,600, which implies that UC Berkeley acceptance rate is around 11.4%. Thus, it can be concluded that the University of California, Berkeley is extremely competitive to enter. Given below is a comparison of the student admission data for Fall 2024 and Fall 2023: 

Particulars 

2024-2025 

2025-26

Student Applications 

124,245 

126,798

Students Admitted 

13,714 

14,500 (approx.)

Acceptance Rate 

11.04% 

11.44%

Students Enrolled 

6,272 

6,620 (approx.)

Yield Rate 

45.7% 

45.7%

The 2024 Berkeley acceptance rate for Graduate Medical School stood at 41.2%. The acceptance rate for Computer Science hasn't been made public by the university; however, it is one of the highest-regarded programs with extremely tough competition. The UC Berkeley acceptance rate for some popular majors are:

Major UC Berkeley acceptance rate
Engineering 6.9% to 9.9%
Economics 8.2% - 11.6%
Biology 11.6% to 14.6%
Political Science 11.4% to 13.4%

University of California, Berkeley Campus Acceptance Rate for International Students

The international students intake has risen sharply in the UC system. For Fall 2025, the number of international students admitted stood at a high of 1,469, which is around double the number of students admitted for Fall 2024 (around 760).

When it comes to the UC Berkeley acceptance rate 2025 for international students, the acceptance rate has risen from 3.38% for the Fall 2024 intake to 7.33% for Fall 2025, which suggests slightly decreased competition for admission to UC Berkeley for international students. Refer to the table below for a more detailed breakdown 

Particulars 

Headcount 

International Student Applications 

24,040

International Students Admitted 

1,469

International Acceptance Rate 

7.33% 

Around 26% of the students in the class of 2029 account for underrepresented minorities, and the top five countries of origin for the Fall 2025 admission cycle were China, Canada, Korea, India, and Saudi Arabia. For Fall 2024, Indians accounted for 13.6% of the new UG enrollees, whereas for new UG transfers, this figure stood at 5.3%. The international crowd at UC Berkeley accounts for around 7,300 students, and the university welcomes several students from various ethnic and racial backgrounds, including Asian, Latino, Hispanic, White, African American, etc. The number of undergraduate enrollments based on the Ethnic/Racial Category for Fall 2024 is as follows: 

Degree-Seeking Undergraduates (include first-time first-year) 

2024 Headcount

Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic 

33 

American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic 

44 

Black or African American, non-Hispanic 

679 

Race and/or ethnicity unknown 

1,243 

Two or more races, non-Hispanic 

2,241 

Nonresidents 

3,255 

White, non-Hispanic 

6,544 

Hispanic/Latino 

7,308 

Asian, non-Hispanic 

11,721 

TOTAL 

33,068 

University of California, Berkeley Campus Acceptance Rate Trends

The number of applications received by UC Berkeley has consistently stayed above 120k for the last few years. Whereas the number of students admitted has stood at around 14,000. An analysis of the admission statistics over the years reveals a sharp decline in Berkeley acceptance rate from 14.5% for the class of 2025 to 11.4% for the class of 2029. This implies that the admission criteria for Berkeley University are increasingly getting stricter. 

Class of 

Number of Applications Received 

Number of Students Accepted 

UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate 

2029

126,798

14,500 (approx.)

11.4%

2028 

124,245 

13,714 

11% 

2027 

125,916 

14,769 

11.7% 

2026 

128,226 

14,614 

11.4% 

2025 

112,846 

16,410 

14.5% 

University of California, Berkeley Campus Admission Requirements for International Students

In order to secure admission, all overseas applicants must fulfill certain UC Berkeley admission requirements listed below:

University of California, Berkeley Campus Average GPA, SAT & ACT Scores

The unweighted average GPA of the students admitted for Fall 2025 stood at 3.93 (on a scale of 4.0), and the weighted average GPA was 4.49. In order to secure enrollment in the University of California, Berkeley Campus, students must appear for one of the standardized tests (SAT/ACT) or other entrance exams like GMAT/GRE for postgraduate courses and secure the minimum scores as listed below:

Entrance Exams

Minimum Score Requirements

SAT

1450 or higher

ACT

28 or higher 

GMAT

730 or higher

GPA

UG: 3.4

PG: 3.0

Tips to Get Selected in the University of California, Berkeley Campus

UCB is one of the most competitive universities to get into, and thus, students must submit exceptional academic grades as well as excel in co-curricular activities.

Fulfilling the required Grade Point Average is one of the major entry requirements at the university, and international students must maintain a GPA of 3.4 for UG courses and 3.0 for PG courses on a 4.0 scale in order to boost their chances of getting admitted in the university. Apart from fulfilling the academic qualifications, some of the best practices that students can follow include acquiring strong letters of recommendations, submission of high English language proficiency scores, and standardized test scores.

University of California, Berkeley Campus Acceptance Rate VS UCLA Acceptance Rate

The UC Berkeley acceptance rate stands at merely 11.4%, which makes it an extremely competitive university to get into. In comparison, with the UCLA acceptance rate of 8.9%, the University of California, Los Angeles can be considered slightly more selective in their admission criteria.

Getting into UCLA is extremely competitive; hence, students must excel in academics in order to boost their chances. Apart from this, students who are outstanding in activities outside class also stand a good chance of securing admission.

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UC Berkeley 
FAQs

Q:   Is: UCLA better than UC Berkeley?
A: 

UCLA and UC Berkeley are renowned institutes offering unique campus cultures and academic programs. While they share a great reputation, there are subtle differences between the two universities. The below table compares the rankings, fees and acceptance rate of UCLA. Overall this information could be useful for students who are considering them. Here is the comparison highlighting the differences between the Universities:

Name of The University

Ranking

Acceptance Rate

1st Year Tuition Fee

UCLA

#20

9%-International applicants


14%- US citizens 

UG course: INR 26.72 L - 36.78 L

 

PG course: INR 21.78 L - 31.35 L

UC Berkely 

# 20

14.4%- US citizens

9%-International applicants 

UG Course:  INR 33.8 L - 37.74 L

PG course: INR 19.43 L - 62.64 L

Q:   What are some helpful tips for students starting their first year at UC Berkeley?
A: 

Some of the tips for students starting their first-semester at the University of California Berkely campus are:

  • Students who applied for University of California Berkeley campus must be humble and should interact with as many people as possible. Mainly beacause, the more people you talk to the better knowledge you get. 
  • Attend as many gathering and parties as much as you can. 
  • Applicants should avoid missing classess, as 70% of learning comes from students going to classes. 
  • Students can get invovlved with extracuricular activities, i.e joing university clubs, sports etc. This will also look good on a portfolio in the longer run. 
Q:   How long does it take to hear back from UC Berkeley?
A: 

UC Berkeley's admission review process takes two weeks to 1 month. However most of the applicants receive call within 6-8 weeks. The comprehensive evaluation consider academics, GPA, extracurricular activities and many more are essential for the university. Srudents should anticipate this timeframe . The students are notified via e-mail and the approximate time of the decision is said to be one month after the application submission. 

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Ridhi

Study Abroad Expert

Currently an English major at DU, I create content for study abroad universities on Shiksha. Besides writing, I also enjoy art and music.
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