At UC Berkeley, the world’s premier public university, you can excel beyond, exchange ideas and, ultimately, change the world.
You are a transfer student if you have completed coursework during a regular session at a college or university after high school. (The summer session immediately following high school graduation does not count.) While UC gives California community college students first priority over other transfer applicants, we also accept those from four-year institutions.
Comprehensive Review and Minimum Requirements
Transfer applications are reviewed using a comprehensive review process. While no one attribute or characteristic guarantees the admission of any applicant to Berkeley, transfer students can be most competitive by excelling in the academic areas. The minimum requirements for Berkeley transfer admissions are as follows:
General Education/Breadth Requirements
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Some colleges accept a full UC IGETC or Essential Skills. Check ASSIST.org for more information. (If you are attending a college that is not a California community college, on ASSIST.org, select “UC Berkeley”, then select any college in order to see the Berkeley requirements.
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To find courses that satisfy the Reading and Composition requirement that are offered at institutions other than California Community Colleges, students can review the R&C transfer information for a list of courses by institution.
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Minimum 60 UC transferable semester (90 UC transferable quarter units) by the end of the spring prior to fall matriculation
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Minimum GPA of 3.0 in all transferable college-level coursework for most majorsMajor preparation courses (Check ASSIST.org or guide.berkeley.edu for more information).
Learn about transfer admissions information by college.
While academic indicators are weighted more heavily than other parts of the application, other factors are considered in the Comprehensive Review process. The following are examples of qualities and attributes we consider in the Comprehensive Review process:
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The applicant’s full record of achievement in college-level courses, including number of units, general education, and major preparation courses.
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Personal qualities of the applicant, including leadership ability, character, motivation, insight, tenacity, initiative, originality, intellectual independence, responsibility, maturity, and demonstrated concern for others and for the community are considered.
These factors can be demonstrated in different ways whether it is traditional clubs/organizations, home life, work life, or other life experiences.
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Likely contributions to the intellectual and cultural vitality of the campus. In addition to a broad range of intellectual interests and achievements, admissions readers seek diversity in personal background and experience.
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Achievement in academic enrichment programs, including but not limited to those sponsored by the University of California or California Community Colleges.
Race, ethnicity, gender, and religion are excluded from the criteria.
All achievements, both academic and nonacademic, are considered in the context of the opportunities an applicant has had, and the reader’s assessment is based on how fully the applicant has taken advantage of those opportunities. For an applicant who has faced any hardships or unusual circumstances, readers consider the maturity, determination and insight with which the applicant has responded to and/or overcome them. Readers also consider other contextual factors that bear directly upon the applicant’s achievement, including linguistic background, parental education level, and other indicators of support available in the home.
The review recognizes a wide range of talent and creativity that is not necessarily reflected in traditional measures of academic achievement but which, in the judgment of the reader, is a positive indicator of the student’s ability to succeed at Berkeley and beyond.
