Berkeley Graduate Student Profile
UC Berkeley is famed for the breadth, depth, and reach of more than 120 graduate programs in 15 schools and colleges. Our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation is informed by a deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Nearly all first-year students cite the outstanding reputation and quality of their graduate program as important in their decision to enroll at Berkeley. Typically, half of admitted applicants choose Berkeley over other offers. View our Graduate Student Profile brochure as a PDF.
Rankings and other measures of excellence
Overall UC Berkeley rankings can be found here (opens in a new tab).
U.S. News and World Report
Yet again U.S. News & World Report ranked UC Berkeley (opens in a new tab) as one of the top public universities in the nation.
The new “Best Global Universities Rankings” of U.S. News & World Report (opens in a new tab) placed UC Berkeley fifth in the world. Ranking higher than Columbia, Yale and UCLA.
In the new rankings, Berkeley’s graduate programs placed first in the world (opens in a new tab) in Chemistry, Computer Science, English, History, Part-time MBA, Psychology, and Sociology. 14 other subject areas ranked in the top 10.
- 1st – Chemistry, Computer Science, English, History, Psychology, Sociology
- 2nd – Part-time MBA, Statistics
- 3rd – Engineering, Biological Sciences, Clinical Psychology, Earth Sciences, Mathematics, Physics
- 4th – Economics, Political Science, Public Affairs, Social Work
- 7th – Business, Biostatistics
- 10th – Public Health
Academic Rankings of World Universities
New global rankings place UC Berkeley at the pinnacle of public universities on the U.S. and fifth overall in the world. The 2024 Academic Rankings of World Universities (opens in a new tab) is an assessment of 500 top institutions around the globe by the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy.
Among 54 subject areas, Berkeley ranked first in the world in chemistry, second in electrical and electronic engineering, fourth in physics and statistics, and fifth in economics and computer science & engineering. Honorable mentions include seventh in ecology and eighth in law.
Berkeley Stands Tall in World Reputation Rankings
For the seventh year in a row, UC Berkeley ranks sixth in the world when it comes to its reputation among its peers, according to new rankings from Times Higher Education.
The six “most powerful global brands” in the U.K. publication’s annual World Reputation Rankings (opens in a new tab) vary little from year to year, with Harvard at the top, then MIT, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, and then Berkeley.
Berkeley Again Shines as Top U.S. Public University in Forbes Rankings
New rankings from the financial publication Forbes (opens in a new tab), again place Berkeley at the very top of the list of public universities (opens in a new tab) in the United States.
On the new Forbes Top Colleges 2024-25 list, Berkeley is the only public university among the top five schools overall.
Graduate Alumni Accomplishments
UC Berkeley alumni are among the most accomplished in their fields. Below is just a snapshot of graduate alumni accolades:
- 31 faculty Nobel Prize winners, Berkeley Inspire 2024 (opens in a new tab)
- 35 alumni Nobel Prize winners; Berkeley Inspire 2024 (opens in a new tab)
- 80 Fellows from 1981 to 2024; MacArthur Fellows (opens in a new tab)
- 30 National Medal of Science Recipients; The President’s National Medal of Science: Recipient Search (opens in a new tab)
- 1895 Active Patents (as of 2023); UC Inventions at a Glance (opens in a new tab)
The Berkeley Graduate Profile is produced by the Institutional Research and Communications units in the Graduate Division.
Additional Resources
2024-25 Graduate Student Enrollment
Among the 45,882 students at Berkeley, 28% are pursuing doctoral and master’s degrees in more than 130 disciplines.
The fall 2024 incoming graduate class of 4,290 students was selected from more than 40,000 applicants.
| Enrollment (Fall 2024) | Doctoral | Master’s | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment (Fall 2024)New | Doctoral4,217 | Master’s4,207 | Total8,424 |
| Enrollment (Fall 2024)Continuing | Doctoral802 | Master’s3,586 | Total4,388 |
| Enrollment (Fall 2024)Overall | Doctoral5,052 | Master’s7,793 | Total12,812 |
| Applicant Age | |
|---|---|
| Applicant AgeAverage | 28 |
| Applicant AgeYoungest | 17 |
| Applicant AgeOldest | 84 |
| Women | Underrepresented Minorities |
|---|---|
| Women47% | Underrepresented Minorities15% |
| Ethnic Diversity (United States) | Total |
|---|---|
| Ethnic Diversity (United States)Asian | Total2,929 |
| Ethnic Diversity (United States)Black/African-American | Total682 |
| Ethnic Diversity (United States)Chicano/Latino | Total1,179 |
| Ethnic Diversity (United States)American Indian/Alaskan Native | Total73 |
| Ethnic Diversity (United States)Pacific Islander | Total19 |
| Ethnic Diversity (United States)White/Caucasian | Total3,343 |
| Ethnic Diversity (United States)Unknown | Total553 |
| Ethnic Diversity (United States)Total | Total8,866 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20) | Doctoral | Master’s | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)China | Doctoral412 | Master’s532 | Total944 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)India | Doctoral120 | Master’s245 | Total365 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Canada | Doctoral103 | Master’s163 | Total266 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Republic of Korea (South) | Doctoral119 | Master’s68 | Total187 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Taiwan | Doctoral73 | Master’s64 | Total137 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Japan | Doctoral28 | Master’s62 | Total90 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)United Kingdom | Doctoral49 | Master’s35 | Total84 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Germany | Doctoral32 | Master’s38 | Total70 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)France | Doctoral21 | Master’s43 | Total64 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Brazil | Doctoral26 | Master’s33 | Total59 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Indonesia | Doctoral8 | Master’s45 | Total53 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Mexico | Doctoral18 | Master’s31 | Total49 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Hong Kong | Doctoral15 | Master’s33 | Total48 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Singapore | Doctoral17 | Master’s24 | Total41 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Turkey | Doctoral26 | Master’s7 | Total33 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Chile | Doctoral13 | Master’s19 | Total32 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Nigeria | Doctoral4 | Master’s27 | Total31 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Italy | Doctoral24 | Master’s6 | Total30 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Australia | Doctoral11 | Master’s15 | Total26 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Columbia | Doctoral8 | Master’s18 | Total26 |
| International Graduate Students (Top 20)Total | Doctoral1,127 | Master’s1,508 | Total2,635 |
Graduate majors (Fall 2024 Enrollment)
Berkeley offers more than 130 graduate majors (master’s, professional, and doctoral), 94 of which grant doctoral degrees.
| School/College/Division | Doctoral | Master’s/ First Professional |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| School/College/DivisionArts & Humanities | Doctoral546 | Master’s/ First Professional12 | Total558 |
| School/College/DivisionBiological Sciences | Doctoral419 | Master’s/ First Professional16 | Total435 |
| School/College/DivisionBusiness | Doctoral76 | Master’s/ First Professional1,832 | Total1,908 |
| School/College/DivisionChemistry | Doctoral483 | Master’s/ First Professional129 | Total612 |
| School/College/DivisionData Science and Society | Doctoral103 | Master’s/ First Professional76 | Total179 |
| School/College/DivisionEducation | Doctoral127 | Master’s/ First Professional82 | Total209 |
| School/College/DivisionEngineering | Doctoral1,288 | Master’s/ First Professional1,219 | Total2,507 |
| School/College/DivisionEnvironmental Design | Doctoral72 | Master’s/ First Professional390 | Total462 |
| School/College/DivisionInformation | Doctoral29 | Master’s/ First Professional1,215 | Total1,244 |
| School/College/DivisionJournalism | Doctoral0 | Master’s/ First Professional113 | Total113 |
| School/College/DivisionLaw | Doctoral63 | Master’s/ First Professional1,288 | Total1,351 |
| School/College/DivisionMath and Physical Sciences | Doctoral513 | Master’s/ First Professional2 | Total515 |
| School/College/DivisionNatural Resources | Doctoral380 | Master’s/ First Professional97 | Total477 |
| School/College/DivisionOptometry | Doctoral35 | Master’s/ First Professional261 | Total296 |
| School/College/DivisionOther | Doctoral0 | Master’s/ First Professional1 | Total1 |
| School/College/DivisionPublic Health | Doctoral145 | Master’s/ First Professional655 | Total800 |
| School/College/DivisionPublic Policy | Doctoral11 | Master’s/ First Professional270 | Total281 |
| School/College/DivisionSocial Sciences | Doctoral720 | Master’s/ First Professional67 | Total787 |
| School/College/DivisionSocial Welfare | Doctoral21 | Master’s/ First Professional179 | Total200 |
| School/College/DivisionTOTAL | Doctoral | Master’s/ First Professional | Total12,812 |
Degrees Granted
| Degree Date | Doctoral | Master’s | Professional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree Date2009 – 10 | Doctoral891 | Master’s2,005 | Professional394 |
| Degree Date2010 – 11 | Doctoral918 | Master’s2,044 | Professional372 |
| Degree Date2011 – 12 | Doctoral892 | Master’s2,120 | Professional372 |
| Degree Date2012 – 13 | Doctoral937 | Master’s2,154 | Professional367 |
| Degree Date2013 – 14 | Doctoral936 | Master’s2,215 | Professional351 |
| Degree Date2014 – 15 | Doctoral826 | Master’s2,343 | Professional339 |
| Degree Date2015 – 16 | Doctoral818 | Master’s2,636 | Professional392 |
| Degree Date2016 – 17 | Doctoral818 | Master’s2,578 | Professional364 |
| Degree Date2017 – 18 | Doctoral869 | Master’s2,954 | Professional371 |
| Degree Date2018 – 19 | Doctoral877 | Master’s3,235 | Professional395 |
| Degree Date2019 – 20 |
Doctoral806 | Master’s3,269 | Professional397 |
| Degree Date2020 – 21 | Doctoral794 | Master’s2,849 | Professional391 |
| Degree Date2021 – 22 | Doctoral836 | Master’s3,679 | Professional423 |
| Degree Date2022-23 | Doctoral840 | Master’s3,977 | Professional405 |
| Degree Date2023-24 | Doctoral824 | Master’s3,853 | Professional455 |
Career Outcomes
Top 5 academic institutions that hire Berkeley Ph.D.s
- University of California System
- Stanford
- Princeton
- MIT
- Harvard
Long-term employment trends
(Based on a survey of Ph.D. recipients who graduated between 2013 to 2017)
- 54.1% of Berkeley doctoral alumni (and 78% arts and humanities Ph.D.s) work in 4-year academic institutions compared to 41.4% nation-wide
- 31.4% work in the private for-profit sector
- 3.4% work in the non-profit sector or for the state, local or national government
- 3.9% are self-employed or have other employment
Career placement of doctoral degree recipients
First positions of students who graduated from 2019 – 2020 to 2021 – 2022 (based on a survey conducted 12-24 months after graduation).
| Employer Type | Count | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Employer TypeCollege or university* | Count1,281 | Percent47% |
| Employer TypeBusiness (for profit) | Count970 | Percent35% |
| Employer TypeGovernment | Count101 | Percent4% |
| Employer TypeNational laboratory | Count91 | Percent3% |
| Employer TypeNon-profit Organization | Count77 | Percent3% |
| Employer TypeSelf-employed | Count26 | Percent1% |
| Employer TypeK-12 school | Count23 | Percent1% |
| Employer TypeOther | Count22 | Percent1% |
| Employer TypeUnknown | Count157 | Percent6% |
| Employer TypeTotal | Count2,748 | Percent100% |
*First positions taken by Berkeley Ph.D.s who went into academia:
| Type of Position | Count | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Type of PositionPostdoc | Count681 | Percent25% |
| Type of PositionTenure track faculty | Count454 | Percent17% |
| Type of PositionResearcher | Count430 | Percent16% |
| Type of PositionEngineer | Count283 | Percent10% |
| Type of PositionAnalyst | Count216 | Percent8% |
| Type of PositionNon-tenure track faculty | Count540 | Percent7% |
| Type of PositionManager | Count85 | Percent3% |
| Type of PositionAdmin | Count65 | Percent2% |
| Type of PositionEntrepreneur | Count40 | Percent2% |
| Type of PositionConsultant | Count35 | Percent1% |
| Type of PositionProgrammer | Count24 | Percent1% |
| Type of PositionTeacher | Count14 | Percent1% |
| Type of PositionWriter | Count14 | Percent1% |
| Type of PositionOther | Count42 | Percent2% |
| Type of PositionUnknown | Count262 | Percent10% |
| Type of PositionTotal | Count2,748 | Percent100% |
Sources of financial support for graduate students
Most admitted doctoral students are funded in full for the majority of their study. In some cases that funding includes teaching and research appointments which are covered by collective bargaining agreements and come with many benefits of employment.
Funding packages
Berkeley offers multi-year funding packages to most entering doctoral students, including those who will enhance the diversity of the graduate student population. Recipients are selected by their departments at the admissions stage.
Multi-year packages typically include:
- 2 years of fellowship funding
- 2-3 years of departmental funding: combination of GSI (teaching) or GSR (research) appointments and/or fellowship
- and/or 1 year of Doctoral Completion Fellowship*
Departmental funding often includes funding from a variety of sources, including university fellowships, departmental fellowships, training grant awards, GSI (teaching) appointments, and GSR (research) positions. Note that GSI and GSR positions, and all terms and conditions of employment, are covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
External multi-year fellowships, such as the NSF GRFP, NDSEG (DoD), Hertz, and others, are integrated into departmental funding packages.
*The Doctoral Completion Fellowship provides one year of fellowship funding to students in certain Humanities and Social Science disciplines, for use after advancement to doctoral candidacy.
Other Campus Funding Opportunities
- Conference Travel Grants
- Parent Grants
- Research Grants/Fellowships (from Institutes/Centers and others)
- Training Grant Programs