Key differences on Getting in
- 1
Berkeley's yield is 32 pts higher than U. California-Santa Barbara's
Yield rate - 2
Berkeley is 3.0× more selective than U. California-Santa Barbara
Acceptance rate
Admissions
Getting in, fall 2024
Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.
The funnel
Quad's selectivity
- BerkeleyUltra selective
- U. California-Santa BarbaraVery selective
Men and women
Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.
Test scores
Test policy
- BerkeleyTest-blind
- U. California-Santa BarbaraTest-blind
How they read a record
Berkeley
GPA and the high school record are required; a college-prep program is considered.
U. California-Santa Barbara
GPA, the high school record, and a college-prep program are required.
What they look at
| Factor | Berkeley | U. California-Santa Barbara |
|---|---|---|
| High school GPA | Required | Required |
| High school record | Required | Required |
| Class rank | Not considered | Not considered |
| College-prep program | Considered | Required |
| Recommendations | Considered | Not considered |
| Essay | Required | Required |
| Legacy status | Not considered | Not considered |
| Work experience | Considered | Not considered |
| Demonstration of competencies | Not considered | Not considered |
| English proficiency test | Required | Required |
| Other tests | Not considered | Not considered |
Sources:University of California-Berkeley (Fall 2026), Fall 2026;University of California-Berkeley Common Data Set, 2024-25;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;University of California-Berkeley Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)
Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why