Study abroad at Berkeley

Berkeley is the legendary, intellectual epicenter of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, celebrated globally as the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement, Silicon Valley tech pioneer, and home to one of the greatest higher education and research institutions in human history. Berkeley is home to the world-renowned University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley / Cal - founded in 1868 as the flagship campus of the University of California system, ranked #10 in the QS World University Rankings, #1 public university globally, with an astonishing 110 Nobel laureates, 25 Turing Awards, and discovery of 16 chemical elements on the periodic table). UC Berkeley boasts world-leading faculties: College of Engineering (top 3 globally for Artificial Intelligence, Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences EECS), Haas School of Business (top 10 worldwide for Entrepreneurship & Finance), Berkeley Law, College of Chemistry, and Goldman School of Public Policy, alongside Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). Degrees are taught 100% in English with premier global accreditations (AACSB, ABET, WASC). Students benefit from direct proximity to Silicon Valley tech venture capital, direct BART transit into San Francisco (20 min), and direct F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support.

Tuition fees in Berkeley for international undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) range between $48,500 and $53,500 per academic year (including non-resident supplemental tuition), while postgraduate Master's and PhD programs range from $34,000 to $58,000 per year (with extensive funded graduate student researcher GSR and teaching assistant GSI positions that provide 100% full tuition remission and living stipends). On-campus and university-affiliated student residences (Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Blackwell Hall, Channing-Bowditch) cost between $1,200 and $1,900 per month (inclusive of meal plans and utilities), while off-campus student apartments in Southside, Northside, and Downtown Berkeley range from $1,100 to $2,200 per month. General monthly living expenses range between $1,400 and $2,300.

International students require a US F-1 Student Visa (or J-1 for exchange). Upon academic admission and submission of financial certification (bank statement certifying first-year tuition and living expenses), the UC Berkeley Berkeley International Office (BIO) issues the official Form I-20. The student pays the SEVIS I-901 fee, completes the DS-160 online visa application, and attends the F-1 visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate.