University of California at Berkely

Motto: Let there be light

Berkeley is unique among the elite universities of the world. Most of the schools it competes with are privately owned, but Berkeley is a state school—albeit one with the elite status of a private school.

Widely known as "Cal," the campus is renowned for the size and quality of its libraries and laboratories, the scope of its research and publications, and the distinction of its faculty and students. National rankings consistently place Berkeley?s undergraduate and graduate programs among the very best in a variety of disciplines. Our high-acclaimed faculty currently includes: 7 Nobel Laureates, 225 members of the Academy of Arts & Sciences, 131 members of the National Academy of Science, 87 members of the National Academy of Engineering, a Poet

The university is nestled in a pleasant city by the same name, within easy commuting distance of San Francisco. With over 36,000 students, Berkeley is also one of the larger elite universities.

An impressive selection of talented students feeds its over 350 degree programs, producing more Ph.D.’s annually than any other U.S. institution. Student research is encouraged as each year 52 percent of seniors assist their professors in their research.

Berkeley draws students from over 100 nations. During the previous decade the National Science Foundation granted its students more graduate research fellowships than any other school.

The faculty has produced 39 members of the American Philosophical Society, 77 Fulbright Scholars, 32 MacArthur Fellows, and 22 Nobel Laureates (eight of whom are current faculty members).

Academic Life:
The student-faculty ratio at University of California--Berkeley is 17:1, and the school has 59 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at University of California--Berkeley include: Social Sciences; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Engineering; English Language and Literature/Letters; and Natural Resources and Conservation. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 96.8 percent.

Student Life:
University of California--Berkeley has a total undergraduate enrollment of 27,126, with a gender distribution of 47.9 percent male students and 52.1 percent female students. At this school, 26 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 74 percent of students live off campus. University of California--Berkeley is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.