University of California-Berkeley

University of California-Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California. It is a public, 4-year or above institution.

From Wikipedia: The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. It was established in 1868 and is the state’s first land-grant university. It is a founding member of the Association of American Universities and is the founding campus of the University of California system. Berkeley has the most top-ranked departments nationally and is one of the highest-ranked universities worldwide. It produces multiple entrepreneurs and attracts funding for startup companies with more having been founded than any other university.

Notes

These are items that bear looking into more closely.

  • There is insufficient data to determine whether this institution’s total assets have tended to increase or decrease over time.

Overview of institution

  • Institution kind: Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity

  • Undergrad program: Arts & sciences plus professions, high graduate coexistence

  • Graduate program: Research Doctoral: Comprehensive programs, no medical/veterinary school

  • Enrollment profile: Majority undergraduate (see more details below)

  • Average net price for undergrads on financial aid: $19,257 This is 100% the average cost of Harvard).

  • Actual price for your family: Go here to see what your family may be asked to pay. It can be MUCH lower than the average price but also higher for some.

  • Size and setting: Four-year, large, primarily residential

  • In state percentage: 78% of first year students come from California

  • In US percentage: 89% of first year students come from the US

  • Graduation rate (within 6 years) for students seeking a Bachelors: 94% (this is what is usually reported as “graduation rate”)

  • Graduation rate (within 4 years) for students seeking a Bachelors: 81.7%

  • Student to tenure-stream faculty ratio: 20.5 (undergrads to tenure-stream faculty) [Tenure explained]

  • Student to faculty ratio: 15.9 (undergrads to all faculty)

  • Degrees offered: Bachelor’s degree, Postbaccalaureate certificate, Master’s degree, Post master’s certificate, Doctor’s degree: research scholarship, Doctor’s degree: professional practice

  • Schedule: Semester

  • Institution provides on campus housing: Yes

  • Dorm capacity: There are enough dorm beds for 9765 students

  • Freshmen required to live on campus: No

  • Covid vaccination requirement for students: At some point during the pandemic (this may have changed), this institution required students to be vaccinated against covid (based on info from here)

  • Covid vaccination requirement for faculty/staff: At some point during the pandemic (this may have changed), this institution required faculty and/or staff to be vaccinated against covid (based on info from here)

  • Advanced placement (AP) credits used: Yes

  • Disabilities: 15.00 percent of undergrads are registered as having disabilities.

Overview of location

  • Abortion in this state: Very protective (based on https://states.guttmacher.org/policies/ as of May 10, 2023)
  • Gun law stringency: A (higher grade = more stringent)
  • State rep support for contraception: 79.2% of US reps from this state voted in favor of legal protections for contraception.
  • State rep support for recognizing same-sex and interracial marriage: 88.7% of US reps from this state voted in favor of requiring states to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages performed in other states
  • Anti-trans legislative risk for adults over the next two years: Safest (based on Erin Reed’s work, as of September 6, 2023)
  • Ecological region: California interior chaparral and woodlands
  • Biome: Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands & Scrub
  • Distance to mountains: 0 miles to North American Cordillera
  • Climate: See overview at WeatherSpark

Similar institutions

This is using information about school size, acceptance rate, yield rate, graduation rate, cost, athletic conference, and similar metrics, but it can miss important axes of similarity (for example, culinary versus hair styling schools).

Map

Enrollment

University of California-Berkeley Change over ≤ 12 years Trend Pacific-12 Conference Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
Undergrads (full time) 30,824 (2022) ‘Line
553 per year
Undergrads (part time) 1,655 (2022) ‘Line
91 per year
Grad students (full time) 10,198 (2022) ‘Line
85 per year
Grad students (part time) 2,630 (2022) ‘Line
151 per year
Admission rate (undergrads) 11% (2022) ‘Line
Yield rate (percent of applicants offered undergraduate admission who accept) 46% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 75%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 83%
Graduation rate (bachelors in 6 years) 94% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 92%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 88%

Student financing

At many universities, almost no students pay the listed tuition and fees (“sticker price”): instead, their financial aid package lowers this dramatically, but how much students pay can vary substantially based on family income and other factors. The tuition below is the average across many students receiving aid: your family may be asked to pay less or more than this.

University of California-Berkeley Change over ≤ 12 years Trend Pacific-12 Conference Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
Average net price (for students awarded aid) $19,257 (2021) ‘Line
$301 per year
✪✪
Better (lower) than 36%
✪✪✪
Better (lower) than 45%
Undergrads getting federal aid 44% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 91%
✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 61%
Undergrads getting any aid 60% (2022) ‘Line
Better (higher) than 18%

Better (higher) than 17%
Undergrads getting Pell grants 23% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 64%
✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 58%

Teaching

University of California-Berkeley Change over ≤ 12 years Trend Pacific-12 Conference Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
Undergrads per tenure track instructor (lower is better) 21 (2020) ‘Line
0.4 per year
✪✪✪✪
Better (lower) than 64%
✪✪✪
Better (lower) than 45%
Undergrads per instructor (lower is better) 16 (2020) ‘Line ✪✪
Better (lower) than 36%
✪✪
Better (lower) than 27%
Total instructors 1,845 (2020) ‘Line
28 per year
Tenure track instructors 1,429 (2020) ‘Line
5.5 per year
Non-tenure track instructors 416 (2020) ‘Line
23 per year

Student details

University of California-Berkeley Change over ≤ 12 years Trend
Dorm capacity 9,765 (2022) ‘Line
200 per year
Percent of undergrads with registered disabilities (≤3 is rounded up to 3) 15% (2022) ‘Line

Institution finances

University of California-Berkeley Change over ≤ 12 years Trend Pacific-12 Conference Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
Revenue from tution and fees 30% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪
Better (lower) than 36%
✪✪
Better (lower) than 38%
Revenue $3.4 B (2022) ‘Line
$71 M per year

Graduation rates

Graduation rates for bachelor’s degrees within 150% of normal time (6 years for a 4-year degree). Note that this uses US federal demographic data: it only has two genders and a specified set of ethnicities and races. For groups with small numbers, the graduation rate may be highly variable year to year (do all three people in this group graduate this year or just two of three, for example).

University of California-Berkeley Change over ≤ 12 years Pacific-12 Conference Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
Total 94% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 92%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 88%
Men 93% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 92%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 86%
Women 95% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 92%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 89%
American Indian or Alaska Native men 100% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 100%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 100%
American Indian or Alaska Native women 100% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 100%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 100%
Asian men 96% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 91%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 90%
Asian women 97% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 82%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 84%
Black or African American men 61% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 42%
✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 44%
Black or African American women 90% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 82%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 84%
Hispanic men 83% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 73%
✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 73%
Hispanic women 91% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 82%
✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 80%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander men 100% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 100%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 100%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander women 90% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 82%
✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 47%
White men 93% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 92%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 88%
White women 97% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 100%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 95%
Two or more races men 89% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 82%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 82%
Two or more races women 94% (2022) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 91%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 85%

Freshmen demographics

Demographic data for first time degree-seeking students. Note that this uses US federal demographic data: it only has two genders and a specified set of ethnicities and races.

University of California-Berkeley Change over ≤ 12 years
Men (percent freshmen) 40% (2022) ‘Line
Women (percent freshmen) 60% (2022) ‘Line
American Indian or Alaska Native men (percent freshmen) 0.0% (2022) ‘Line
American Indian or Alaska Native women (percent freshmen) 0.1% (2022) ‘Line
Asian men (percent freshmen) 16% (2022) ‘Line
Asian women (percent freshmen) 22% (2022) ‘Line
Black or African American men (percent freshmen) 0.7% (2022) ‘Line
Black or African American women (percent freshmen) 1.0% (2022) ‘Line
Hispanic men (percent freshmen) 6.7% (2022) ‘Line
Hispanic women (percent freshmen) 14% (2022) ‘Line
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander men (percent freshmen) 0.0% (2022) ‘Line
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander women (percent freshmen) 0.0% (2022) ‘Line
White men (percent freshmen) 7.5% (2022) ‘Line
White women (percent freshmen) 12% (2022) ‘Line
Two or more races men (percent freshmen) 2.6% (2022) ‘Line
Two or more races women (percent freshmen) 4.0% (2022) ‘Line
Race ethnicity unknown men (percent freshmen) 1.8% (2022) ‘Line
Race ethnicity unknown women (percent freshmen) 1.6% (2022) ‘Line
Nonresident alien men (percent freshmen) 6.5% (2021) ‘Line
Nonresident alien women (percent freshmen) 6.7% (2021) ‘Line

Freshmen geography

University of California-Berkeley Change over ≤ 12 years
In state 78% (2022) ‘Line
US 89% (2022) ‘Line
Not reported 0% (2022) ‘Line

Tenure track faculty

Tenure track faculty are those who are eligible for tenure. This includes both pre-tenure and tenured faculty. Once faculty get tenure, they are (generally) protected from being fired for intellectual reasons, helping to ensure their freedom in teaching and research. They can still lose their positions for misconduct, financial problems, not fulfilling their duties, or other reasons. Note that this chart uses US federal demographic data: it only has two genders and a specified set of ethnicities and races.

University of California-Berkeley Change over ≤ 12 years Trend
Total (tenure-track count) 1,429 (2020) ‘Line
5.5 per year
Women (tenure-track count) 495 (2020) ‘Line
8.5 per year
Men (tenure-track count) 934 (2020) ‘Line
-3.1 per year
American Indian or Alaska Native (tenure-track count) 2 (2020) ‘Line
0.2 per year
Asian (tenure-track count) 197 (2020) ‘Line
3.9 per year
Black or African American (tenure-track count) 56 (2020) ‘Line
2.2 per year
Hispanic or Latino (tenure-track count) 84 (2020) ‘Line
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (tenure-track count) 0 (2020) ‘Line
White (tenure-track count) 951 (2020) ‘Line
Two or more races (tenure-track count) 23 (2020) ‘Line
2.5 per year
Nonresident alien (tenure-track count) 66 (2020) ‘Line

Non-tenure track faculty

Non-tenure track faculty are not eligible for tenure. Some are hired one semester at a time, some have multi-year contracts. They typically have a higher teaching load than tenure track faculty, leaving less time for research or other creative endeavors. They are also easier to fire than tenured faculty. Sometimes they are external experts (a noted musician, a former senator) who are hired to teach some classes without the expected permanence of a tenure-track position. Note that this chart uses US federal demographic data: it only has two genders and a specified set of ethnicities and races.

University of California-Berkeley Change over ≤ 12 years Trend
Total (non-tenure-track count) 416 (2020) ‘Line
23 per year
Women (non-tenure-track count) 238 (2020) ‘Line
14 per year
Men (non-tenure-track count) 178 (2020) ‘Line
9.5 per year
American Indian or Alaska Native (non-tenure-track count) 0 (2020) ‘Line
-0.1 per year
Asian (non-tenure-track count) 75 (2020) ‘Line
4.2 per year
Black or African American (non-tenure-track count) 13 (2020) ‘Line
0.9 per year
Hispanic or Latino (non-tenure-track count) 24 (2020) ‘Line
2.4 per year
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (non-tenure-track count) 0 (2020) ‘Line
-0.2 per year
White (non-tenure-track count) 228 (2020) ‘Line
12 per year
Two or more races (non-tenure-track count) 6 (2020) ‘Line
0.4 per year
Nonresident alien (non-tenure-track count) 44 (2020) ‘Line

Library facilities

University of California-Berkeley Change over ≤ 12 years Trend Pacific-12 Conference Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
Number of physical books 6.4 M (2022) ‘Line
-505,168 per year
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 82%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 97%
Physical library circulations per students and faculty 4.4 (2020) ‘Line
-0.7 per year
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 89%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 87%
Digital library circulations per students and faculty 147 (2020) ‘Line ✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 67%
✪✪✪✪✪
Better (higher) than 82%

SAT scores

University of California-Berkeley Change over ≤ 12 years
Applicants submitting SAT 82% (2020) ‘Line
SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing 25th percentile score 650 (2020) ‘Line
SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing 75th percentile score 740 (2020) ‘Line
SAT Math 25th percentile score 660 (2020) ‘Line
SAT Math 75th percentile score 790 (2020) ‘Line

ACT scores

University of California-Berkeley Change over ≤ 12 years Trend
Applicants submitting ACT 41% (2020) ‘Line
ACT Composite 25th percentile score 30 (2020) ‘Line
ACT Composite 75th percentile score 35 (2020) ‘Line
0.2 per year
ACT English 25th percentile score 27 (2020) ‘Line
ACT English 75th percentile score 35 (2020) ‘Line
ACT Math 25th percentile score 27 (2020) ‘Line
ACT Math 75th percentile score 34 (2020) ‘Line

Degrees by major

Bachelors

Masters

Doctorate

Certificate

Associates

Demographic cliff

There is a concern that giving changing US demographics, the number of students in the age groups who most commonly attend four year colleges will drop off, decreasing overall enrollment. This is often referred to as the “demographic cliff”. This concern comes with a lot of assumptions about the rate at which students will want to go to college, students coming from outside the US, what age students are when they go to college, overall immigration and emigration rates, whether there will be more or fewer colleges competing for students, time to degree and dropout rates remaining constant, and much more, but analyses often also look at just the population of the US as a whole, even though there can be substantial variation in growth by region. For this section, I am using US census data on the number of people in each state by age, and the proportion of students that come from each state for this particular college, to crudely model what will happen if everything remains constant except the demographic change in the population of 18 year olds in each year. For selective schools, they could probably change their admission rate and maintain enrollment; for less selective schools, they may need to change their marketing or other strategies to attract more students if they pull from areas with decreasing number of students of “traditional” college age, or, in rare cases, close. If there is no figure below, breakdowns of students by state are not available. Note that this uses just the 50 US states, not other US territories.

Stacked area plot showing trends if enrollment of 18 year olds per state stay constant; it will be 82percent of the current population.

Life expectancy

This hopefully will not be relevant for potential students, but it may be for people moving to an area longer term, such as faculty and staff choosing where to live. This uses information from US National Vital Statistics Reports for 2020; like much federal data, it assumes people are male or female. For age difference from median, it is from the median state, averaging across all genders (one consequence of this is that the difference from the median life expectancy is almost always negative for men).

  • Life expectancy at birth: 82 years women (5.3 years over the median), 76.2 years men (0.6 years below the median)
  • Remaining life expectancy at age 18: 64.4 years women (5 years over the median), 58.7 years men (0.7 years below the median)
  • Remaining life expectancy at age 30: 52.8 years women (4.6 years over the median), 47.6 years men (0.5 years below the median)
  • Remaining life expectancy at age 45: 38.5 years women (4 years over the median), 34.1 years men (0.4 years below the median)
  • Remaining life expectancy at age 60: 25.1 years women (3.1 years over the median), 21.6 years men (0.3 years below the median)

We can also plot the extra / fewer years of life expected for this state (red) compared to other states (dark gray) at each age. Again, this is normalized for the median state.

Line plots showing difference in life expectancy for each age for people of this state versus the median state