California berkeley act scores

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UC Berkeley GPA Requirements UC Berkeley SAT Requirements UC Berkeley ACT Requirements What UC Berkeley looks for in applicants UC Berkeley Requirements - General Application How to Differentiate Your Application & Get In Chances Calculator Related College & Universities: Take a Student-led Tour on CampusReel to Enter

Will you get accepted?

UC Berkeley: 2024 Requirements, Scores & GPAs

This is the go-to guide for getting into UC Berkeley. We suggest you read until the end. Not only will we layout the exact GPA and test scores you should aim for when applying to UC Berkeley, but we’ll also offer creative ways to help your application stand out from the pack. We breakdown UC Berkeley statistics better than any article out there and show you how these have changed over time. Also, make sure to check out UC Berkeley on CampusReel to see what it’s really like here. If you're interesting in transferring to UC Berkeley, the read our transfer guide. You can also use the below calculator to help determine your likelihood of acceptance at UC Berkeley

What GPA Do You Need To Get Into UC Berkeley?

UC Berkeley’s average GPA is 3.89. UC Berkeley does require GPA. This average GPA means UC Berkeley is very selective. Often times, schools in this range are trying to increase their selectivity and “prestige”. We can’t read the minds of UC Berkeley application readers, but they likely want to increase the average GPA from 3.89 to 4.08 this year - to play it safe, we recommend striving for the 4.08 GPA. *BEFORE CONTINUING PLEASE NOTE: GPA and “prestige” DO NOT mean a college is right for you. UC Berkeley may seem amazing on paper, but you may hate it. That’s why 700,000 students transfer colleges every year - they end up going to the wrong school. It’s crucial to watch the videos on CampusReel and make sure you can envision yourself on UC Berkeley’s campus. These UC Berkeley admission statistics do not sufficiently tell you what a college or university is like.

What Is UC Berkeley’s Acceptance Rate?

Last year UC Berkeley’s acceptance rate was 16.88. However, check out how the acceptance rate has changed over time. As you can see, UC Berkeley is getting more and more difficult to get into. If this trend continue it’s likely that UC Berkeley will be even more competitive by the time you apply. Acceptance rate alone does not indicate your likelihood for getting into UC Berkeley - it’s a very high level understanding of the true competition. Use the acceptance rate as a general guide for curating a list of 10-15 schools that fall into different ranges of competitiveness. Then, use the below data to get a deeper understanding of how your application will compare to the rest of the pool.

2016 2017 2018
Acceptance Rate 17.0 % 17.0 % 16.88 %
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Does UC Berkeley Require Test Scores?

UC Berkeley requires that you either take the SAT or ACT. See the table below for how UC Berkeley’s accepted students have performed on both tests. You may be wondering how many test scores should you submit. Generally, don’t freak out about taking the test too often. Industry consensus is that you can submit up to 6 tests as a reasonable limit.

UC Berkeley SAT Requirements

UC Berkeley’s average SAT score is 1405 - this is the sum of the math and reading portions of the SAT (the 1600 scale). Check out the below table for a deeper look into how students performed - it’s also very interesting to look at the average test score over time. The trend over time helps give insight into whether UC Berkeley is getting more or less competitive.

25th Percentile 75th Percentile Average
Math 650 790 720
Reading 620 750 685
2019 Total 1270 1540 1405
2018 Total - - -
2017 Total - - -

UC Berkeley’s average SAT score is 1405. To be a competitive applicant for UC Berkeley your SAT score should come close to the average. If you’re closer to the 1270, you’re likely going to have a tougher time getting accepted. To consider UC Berkeley a “target” school (one that you are likely to get into) you should aim for a score of 1540.

Will You Get Into UC Berkeley?

UC Berkeley ACT Requirements

UC Berkeley’s average ACT score is 95. To be a competitive applicant for UC Berkeley your ACT score should come close to the average. If you’re closer to the 86, you’re likely going to have a tougher time getting accepted. To consider UC Berkeley a “target” school (one that you have a good chance of getting into) you should aim for a score of 104.

25th Percentile 75th Percentile Average
Math 27 35 31
Reading 28 35 31
Writing 31 34 32
2019 Total 86 104 95
2018 Total - - -
2017 Total - - -
Will You Get Into UC Berkeley?

How Hard Is It To Get Into UC Berkeley?

As you can see from the data above, UC Berkeley is exceptionally difficult to get into. Not only should you be aiming for a 3.89 but also SAT scores around 1405. Getting into UC Berkeley is no easy feat and you will need to set yourself apart with more than just numbers and data. Read on to learn how.

UC Berkeley Requirements

Now you know where you need to be for getting into UC Berkeley from a grade and test score perspective. Let’s quickly outline what else you’ll need to provide for your application to get reviewed, and then we’ll move onto the most important section: differentiating your app.

Recommendations Status
School Rank Neither required nor recommended
GPA Required
School Record Required

How to get into UC Berkeley

Follow these steps to maximize your chances of getting into UC Berkeley. Everything you read above will help prepare you for what you need to achieve to have a shot at UC Berkeley, but these steps will take you even further in applying that knowledge and differentiating your application.