University of California, Berkeley Acceptance Rate & Admissions Data (2025-2026)
Every figure on this page comes from the school’s own Common Data Set (2025-2026 edition) and was independently verified against official sources.
#15
2026 US News Best National Universities
11.4%
acceptance rate
126,864
applicants
14,524
admitted
How Hard Is It to Get Into University of California, Berkeley?
Berkeley admitted 14,524 of 126,864 applicants in its 2025-2026 Common Data Set, an 11.4% acceptance rate from one of the largest applicant pools in the country. There is no early round, and the UC system is test blind: SAT and ACT scores are not considered at all, even if you have them.
That combination changes the math. With no scores and no early-round leverage, the entire file comes down to the transcript and the four Personal Insight Questions, read at enormous scale.
University of California, Berkeley Common Data Set: What It Values Most
Every college officially reports how much each application factor matters in section C7 of its Common Data Set. These are University of California, Berkeley’s own published ratings from the 2025-2026 edition, not our opinion.
Academic factors
Rigor of coursework
Class rank
Academic GPA
Standardized test scores
Application essay
Recommendations
Nonacademic factors
Interview
Extracurricular activities
Talent / ability
Character / personal qualities
First generation
Alumni relation
Geographical residence
State residency
Religious affiliation
Racial / ethnic status
Volunteer work
Work experience
Level of applicant interest
Writing the University of California, Berkeley supplement? See every current University of California, Berkeley essay prompt, with strategies.
What this means
Berkeley rates three factors very important: rigor, GPA, and the essay, meaning the Personal Insight Questions. One tier down sit extracurriculars, character, volunteer work, and work experience. Notice what is on that second list: Berkeley formally rates real-world work, and with test scores off the table entirely, the PIQs plus the activities record are the only places you can differentiate beyond the transcript. In a pool of 126,864, concrete beats eloquent: the PIQs reward specific, verifiable doing.
Testing policy
Test blind: scores are not considered at all.
How to Get Into University of California, Berkeley: 3 Ways to Stand Out
- 1
Write the PIQs as evidence, not essays. Berkeley's readers move fast through an enormous pool; answers built on specific actions and outcomes, what you did, what changed, land better than lyrical reflection.
- 2
Put work experience on the record. Berkeley's CDS rates employment and work experience among its considered factors one tier below the top, rare for a public flagship, and a real job or internship is unambiguous evidence at scale.
- 3
Max out rigor within your school's context. UC reads courses in context, so taking the hardest available load and performing in it is the single strongest academic signal you control.
Studying Business at University of California, Berkeley
Undergraduate business at Berkeley runs through the Haas School's highly competitive Spieker Undergraduate Business Program (BS in Business Administration), which admits students directly from high school for a four-year path as well as via transfer or continuing-student entry, with Economics in Letters & Science as the common alternative route.
Berkeley Haas admits a small cohort directly from high school through the Spieker Undergraduate Business Program, with the rest applying continuing students later, so a high schooler aiming at Haas needs the business interest visible now. With scores test blind, an applicant whose PIQs can describe a real internship, a venture with actual customers, or analytical work with real stakes is presenting exactly the evidence the format allows.
Building a profile for University of California, Berkeley?
University of California, Berkeley rates extracurriculars important in its own filing. Real internship experience is exactly that kind of signal.
University of California, Berkeley Admissions FAQ
Does UC Berkeley look at SAT or ACT scores?
No. The UC system is test blind, so scores are not considered even if submitted. Berkeley's Common Data Set puts the weight on rigor, GPA, and the Personal Insight Questions, with activities, character, volunteer work, and work experience the next tier down.
Does UC Berkeley have Early Decision or Early Action?
No. The UC application has a single November filing period for everyone, with decisions in the spring. There is no early-round advantage to plan for; the leverage is entirely in the strength of the file itself.
How do you get into Haas as a freshman?
Through the Spieker Undergraduate Business Program, which admits a limited number of students to Haas directly from high school. Demonstrated business substance, real work, a venture, or applied projects described concretely in the PIQs, is what separates direct admits from the pool.
Sources
- UC Berkeley Office of Planning and Analysis, Common Data Set index
- UC Berkeley Common Data Set 2025-2026
Data reflects the 2025-2026Common Data Set, the most recent verified edition at the time of publication. Always confirm current requirements on the school’s admissions site.
Campus photo: Coolcaesar via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0