Address: Sproul Hall, 94720 Berkeley, California, United States
Computer Science, Engineering, Physical Sciences
Founded in 1868, UC Berkeley is a public research university and the flagship campus of the University of California system. It is globally recognized for its academic excellence, research contributions, and history of student activism and free speech.
The University of California, Berkeley was chartered in 1868 as the first campus of the University of California system. It stands on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay, at the foot of the Berkeley Hills. It has about 45,000 students and 10,000 staff. Sather Tower, known as the Campanile, rises 94 metres above the campus and offers views over the bay and the Golden Gate. Sproul Plaza, at the southern entrance, is the traditional centre of student life.
Berkeley is a public university with a research record that rivals the best private ones. Its faculty and alumni include dozens of Nobel laureates. Ernest Lawrence invented the cyclotron there in the 1930s and founded the Radiation Laboratory, now the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, on the hills above the campus. Several chemical elements were first synthesised there, and berkelium and californium carry the names of the city and the state. Glenn Seaborg led much of this work.
The campus is also famous for activism. The Free Speech Movement of 1964 started on Sproul Plaza, and Berkeley was a centre of the protests against the Vietnam War. Today the university is organised in colleges and schools, including engineering, letters and science, chemistry, natural resources, environmental design, the Haas School of Business, law, public policy and the Graduate School of Journalism. Its computer science programme and the Berkeley Software Distribution of Unix shaped computing.
Undergraduate admission is by application to the University of California system, with a holistic review. Tuition differs for California residents, other Americans and international students, and the last two groups pay much more. Check the current tariff. Teaching is in English, and the academic year follows the semester system.
The city is expensive, and finding housing is a challenge for students. The Berkeley BART station and many bus lines connect the campus to San Francisco and Oakland.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Chemistry, Data Analytics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Physics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Graduate Diploma, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Part of the University of California system. Strong ties with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Collaborations with Silicon Valley and global research institutions. Member of AAU.
Research:
A world-leading public research university with exceptional strength in computer science (AI, cybersecurity), engineering, chemistry, physics, economics, and social sciences. Numerous Nobel laureates. High research expenditure.
Famous Alumnis:
Steve Wozniak, Gordon Moore, Jennifer Doudna, Earl Warren, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Gregory Peck, Jack London
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
10200
Current students***:
45300
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
555000
Pros
Top-ranked public university globally, outstanding research across many disciplines, vibrant intellectual and cultural environment, strong commitment to public service and social mobility.
Cons
Large class sizes in many undergraduate programs, highly competitive, state budget issues can impact resources, housing in Berkeley can be expensive and difficult to find.
Best For
Academically gifted students seeking a world-class public education and research opportunities, particularly in STEM, social sciences, and humanities, in a dynamic and intellectually stimulating environment.
For students who like the physics, life sciences and data analytics focus of this university but want another option nearby, Columbia University fits well: it is private, whereas this university is public, and does not run the graduate diploma programmes found here.
University of California, San Diego is the closest domestic counterpart for life sciences, data analytics and AI and machine learning; it is also a public institution and does not run the graduate diploma programmes found here.
University of Wisconsin, Madison offers a comparable education in chemistry, life sciences and data analytics: it does not run the graduate diploma programmes found here and covers agriculture as well.
University of Texas at Austin shares the core fields of this institution, namely life sciences, data analytics and AI and machine learning; it covers geotechnics and telecommunications as well, and is slightly larger, at about 52,400 students against roughly 45,300 here.
University of California, Los Angeles offers a comparable education in life sciences, data analytics and AI and machine learning: it has almost the same size, at about 46,500 students, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Bristol, based in the United Kingdom, is built around chemistry, physics and life sciences much like this institution, and it does not run the graduate diploma and mba programmes found here and covers aerospace as well.
For chemistry, physics and life sciences outside the home country, Queen's University in Canada is a natural reference; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral, graduate diploma and mba, and is slightly smaller, at about 31,000 students against roughly 45,300 here.
Seen from abroad, University of Toronto (Canada) is a close relative on subject matter, since chemistry, physics and life sciences are central to both, and it also offers certificate, diploma and graduate certificate programmes, and is larger, enrolling about 97,500 students against roughly 45,300 here.
On content, The University of Manchester in the United Kingdom and this institution are close, as both teach chemistry, physics and life sciences; it has almost the same size, at about 46,500 students, and is also a public institution.
For a study option in Singapore with a comparable spread of chemistry, physics and life sciences, Nanyang Technological University is the reference point: it is slightly smaller, at about 37,458 students against roughly 45,300 here, and is also a public institution.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is UC Berkeley?
In Berkeley, California, on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay.
When was it founded?
In 1868, as the first campus of the University of California system.
How large is it?
About 45,000 students and 10,000 staff.
What is the Campanile?
Sather Tower, which rises 94 metres above the campus and offers views over the bay.
What is the Free Speech Movement?
A student protest of 1964 that began on Sproul Plaza.
Which scientific inventions are linked to Berkeley?
The cyclotron, invented by Ernest Lawrence in the 1930s, and the Berkeley Software Distribution of Unix.
Which elements carry names from the area?
Berkelium and californium, first synthesised at Berkeley.
What is the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory?
A national laboratory founded from Lawrence's Radiation Laboratory, located in the hills above the campus.
How do you apply and what does it cost?
Through the University of California application, with holistic review. Non-residents pay much more than Californians. Check the current tariff.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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