Cal Facts (Updated as of spring 2026)

Stellar rankings powered by a world-class reputation

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No. 1

When averaged across the leading rankings of higher-education institutions, Berkeley is the #1 public university and ranks amongst the very best universities on the planet.

SEE THE METHODOLOGY BEHIND OUR AVERAGED RANKINGS.

Our most recent rankings (public/overall) include:

U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities 1/5

U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 1/15

Forbes America’s Top Colleges 1/5

The Wall Street Journal Best U.S. Colleges 1/8

Times Higher Education World University Ranking 1/8

Fall 2025 enrollment

33,122

undergraduates

13,029

graduate students

Faculty honors

237 American Academy of Arts and Sciences

72 National Academy of Engineering

30 National Medal of Science

146 National Academy of Sciences

42 American Philosophical Society

Nobel pursuits

A total of 63 Nobel prize winners (faculty and alums) have been affiliated with Berkeley over the course of its history.

LEARN MORE ABOUT BERKELEY'S RICH NOBEL HISTORY

World-class education

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Library excellence

  • 15.2 million+ volumes
  • 400+ languages represented in collections

Teaching and research

  • Approximately 10,000 undergraduate and graduate courses
  • Approximately 400 degree programs
  • Among the top Ph.D.-granting institutions in the U.S.
  • 59 modern and ancient languages taught
  • 52 percent of undergraduates responding to a survey assisted faculty in research or had completed at least one research methods course

A research powerhouse

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2025 graduate research fellowships (National Science Foundation)

  • Stanford 51
  • Berkeley 49
  • Harvard 32
  • Yale 28
  • UCLA 26
  • Princeton 18

U.S. News & World Report program rankings

23 undergraduate programs ranked in the Top 5 in the country, including civil engineering (No. 1), economics (No. 2, tie), artificial intelligence (No. 4), computer science theory (No. 4), and best colleges for veterans (No. 4)

More than 40 Berkeley graduate divisions, schools, and disciplines ranked in the Top 10 in the country, including chemistry (No. 1, tie), earth sciences (No. 2), public affairs (No. 3, tie), engineering (No. 3), entrepreneurship programs (No. 4, tie), and public health (No. 6, tie)

Drawing brilliant young faculty

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519 Hellman Fellows

since 1995 (more than 80 percent of whom remain at Berkeley)

MEET BERKELEY’S HELLMAN FELLOWS

7 assistant professors named 2026 Sloan Research Fellows, among the largest cohorts from any single university

An impact beyond the classroom

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A longstanding commitment to public service

7,100+ students served community-based organizations, government offices, and schools in 2024–25

Over 250,000 hours of service by students in 2024–25 (through the Public Service Center)

3,800+ Peace Corps volunteers from Berkeley since 1961, more than any other university

15 social action programs on campus

100+ community partners

A leader in sustainability

80% of students walk, bike, or take public transit to campus

6 sites with solar panels (and more under way) contribute toward a campus goal to reduce our carbon footprint by 90% by 2045

19% of food served in our dining halls is sustainably sourced, and 37% is plant-based

40+ environmental student organizations are offered on campus

95% of campus grounds are managed organically

2,048 undergraduate courses are sustainability-focused or -related

The Cal family

First-year students (Fall 2025)

  • 11% of applicants admitted
  • 78% from California
  • 26% of new freshmen from families in which neither parent has a four-year college degree
  • 3.93 average unweighted high school GPA

Engaging alums and parents

  • 604,709 living Berkeley alums
  • 36,899 alums gave to Berkeley in 2024–25
  • 100,000 Cal Alumni Association members
  • 31,000 Cal Parents families

Athletic achievement

  • 30 men’s and women’s teams
  • 850+ student-athletes
  • 105 team national titles all-time in 15 different sports, as well as 332 individual titles
  • 300+ current and former Cal athletes, coaches, and staff have earned 246 Olympic medals, including 126 gold

Funding and costs

Then and now: the challenge of state funding

Undergraduate tuition

UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE BUDGETS

State funding

UC Berkeley annual budget

$4.1 billion in 2024–25

Keeping educational opportunity alive

Financial support for students

  • 62% of all undergraduates receive some form of financial aid
  • $63.2 million in privately funded undergraduate scholarships were offered in 2024–25, supporting 5,862 recipients
  • $52.6 million in privately funded graduate fellowships were offered in 2024–25, supporting 3,455 recipients

Undergraduate Pell Grant recipients

A chart of Pell Grant Recipients, showing 32% at Berkeley, 23% at Yale and Stanford (combined), and 16% at Harvard.

A public mission made possible by private support

  • 57,000+ donors in 2024–25
  • $792 million+ in gifts and pledges in 2024–25
  • 13 percent of Berkeley’s 2024–25 spending was covered by private gifts

Berkeley’s endowment: a lasting legacy

  • $8.5 billion endowment as of 2024–25
  • $280 million in payout to the campus in 2024–25