In this piece, I’m breaking down exactly what it takes to get into UC Berkeley’s architecture programs, the Berkeley architecture acceptance rates in 2025, both undergraduate and graduate, and how those numbers compare to other top architecture schools. I’ve included hard data, real admissions figures, and a look at what these numbers mean for the kind of students these programs are built for.
If you’re considering UC Berkeley, you’re probably not just chasing credentials. You’re after something more rooted. So was I. Let’s look at the odds and the meaning behind them.
A Comprehensive Profile of the University of California, Berkeley
| Category | Details |
| Name | University of California, Berkeley |
| Established | 1868 |
| Location | Berkeley, California, USA |
| Campus Type | Urban |
| Student Enrollment | ~45,000 (31,000+ undergraduates, 13,000+ graduates) |
| Colleges & Schools | 14 colleges and schools, including the College of Environmental Design (CED) |
| Architecture Program Location | College of Environmental Design (CED) |
| Undergraduate Acceptance Rate | ~11.0% (Class of 2023), ~11.7% (Estimated for Class of 2024) |
| M.Arch Acceptance Rate | ~6.5% (Based on ~1,047 applicants, ~68 admitted) |
| Notable Rankings | Top 5 globally for architecture and built environment (QS, 2024) |
| Degree Offerings in Architecture | BA in Architecture (non-professional), M.Arch (professional) |
| Tuition (CA Residents) | ~$15,000/year (undergraduate); ~$17,000–$22,000/year (graduate, in-state) |
| Tuition (Non-Residents) | ~$48,000/year (undergraduate); ~$32,000–$42,000/year (graduate, out-of-state) |
| Faculty Strength | Over 1,500 full-time faculty |
| Notable Alumni (Architecture) | Charles Moore, Joseph Esherick, Thom Mayne |
| Campus Highlights | Sather Tower, Doe Library, Memorial Glade, Berkeley Art Museum |
| Website | https://www.berkeley.edu |
The Numbers Everyone Wants
If you search for “Berkeley Architecture acceptance rate,” you’ll find a handful of figures, none of which offer an immediate, program-specific answer. What you will find is that UC Berkeley’s overall undergraduate acceptance rate for 2023 hovered around 11.0%, drawn from an applicant pool of over 128,000. For 2024, it’s estimated at 11.7%.
But here’s the thing: that’s university-wide. When it comes to Berkeley’s architecture program, the numbers are both murkier and more intimidating.
The Structure That Shapes the Odds
Berkeley’s architecture offering is split between undergraduate and graduate tracks, both housed within the College of Environmental Design (CED). Undergrads pursue a BA in architecture—a non-professional degree that’s often a springboard to a professional Master of Architecture (M.Arch) later on.
The architecture BA isn’t something you apply to directly from high school with a fancy portfolio. You apply to Berkeley and then select architecture as your major. No separate portfolio. No design prompts. Just the same holistic review as every other major. That might sound like good news, but in reality, it just means you’re fighting for space in one of the country’s most selective general admissions pools.
Then there’s the graduate level.
In 2025, Berkeley’s M.Arch program received over 1,000 applications. Fewer than 70 of those applicants were admitted as of the time of writing this piece. That puts the acceptance rate around 6.5%. That’s not just selective. That’s cutthroat.
Key Features of the UC Berkeley Architecture Program
| Feature | Description |
| Undergraduate Program Type | BA in Architecture (non-professional, typically part of 4+2 track) |
| Graduate Program Type | M.Arch (professional degree required for licensure) |
| Portfolio Requirement | Not required for BA admission; required for M.Arch with design focus |
| Studio Culture | Intense, collaborative, critical |
| Design Philosophy | Emphasis on social equity, environmental justice, and public space |
| Interdisciplinary Approach | Integration with urban design, landscape architecture, and city planning |
| Facilities | Digital fabrication labs, environmental design library, model shops |
| Notable Research Areas | Climate-responsive architecture, urban housing, participatory design |
| Career Support | Alumni network, internship placement, mentorship from industry leaders |
Why So Selective?
The competitiveness makes more sense once you understand what Berkeley asks of its students. This isn’t a place for those who just want to draw beautiful buildings. It’s for people who want to question the systems those buildings sit within. Climate change. Housing justice. Public space as a political act.
That kind of work attracts a specific type of applicant: wildly driven, often socially conscious, and unafraid of critique. Berkeley doesn’t handhold. It demands. And it gets applicants who are up for it.
At the undergraduate level, you’re expected to walk into the CED with no formal design background and be ready to build a framework from scratch. The admissions team evaluates applicants on academic rigor, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to connect their interests to a broader social context.
At the graduate level, they want to see an evolved design sense. Not just how you render, but how you think. Your portfolio is your thesis in miniature.
Summary of The UC Berkeley Architecture Acceptance Rate
| Program | Acceptance Rate |
| UC Berkeley (overall undergraduate) | ~11.7% |
| BA Architecture (via CED) | ~11% (estimated) |
| M.Arch (graduate professional program) | ~6.5% |
How This Stacks Up Against Peers
Compared to other top architecture schools, Berkeley holds its own in terms of difficulty. MIT and Harvard’s GSD programs are also notoriously selective, but Berkeley’s M.Arch acceptance rate, hovering below 7%, puts it in rarified territory. At the undergraduate level, school‑wide selectivity aligns with highly ranked institutions like Cornell, which accept 15% or fewer applicants for their architecture‑focused programs
More importantly, Berkeley stands out in how it defines “selective.” It’s not just about technical skill or GPA. It’s about how well you engage with complexity. How well you understand that design is never neutral.
Here’s a more detailed comparative table of 10 leading architecture schools, showing program levels (Undergraduate, M.Arch, PhD), approximate acceptance rates, class sizes, and notable features. I’ve pulled this data from available program sources and admissions reports online.
How Berkeley Architecture Acceptance Rate Compares to 9 Leading US Universities
| University & Program | UG Accepted Rate | UG Class Size | M.Arch Acceptance Rate / Size | PhD Acceptance Rate / Cohort | Key Program Features |
| UC Berkeley (CED) | ~11.7% (UC-wide) | ~1200 architecture students total | ~6.5% (1,047 apps → 68 enrolled) | PhD in Architecture; no public rate, small cohort | Powerful impact focus: social equity, climate justice, intensive studio |
| MIT (SA+P) | Overall MIT UG ~4.5%; architecture UG ~90/year | ~90/year SAP | ~4% (~25 students) small cohort | PhD program exists; selective, cohort size not published | Research-led, tech-heavy, fabrication and computation-driven |
| Columbia GSAPP | UG not separate | — | ~5.8%, ~90–110 enrolled | PhD in Architecture/Urban Design; no acceptance rate published | Urban design, visualization, computation; global interdisciplinary mix |
| Harvard GSD | UG not relevant (graduate-only) | — | ~17%, ~254 enrolled across all disciplines | Doctor of Design (small cohort) | Theory-driven, large global network, deep interdisciplinary options |
| Yale School of Architecture | UG UG not separate | — | ~15%, 137 accepted → 75 enrolled (~60 M.Arch I plus ~40 post‑pro) | PhD in History of Art & Architecture; not disclosed | Visual-theoretical rigor, close studio culture, diverse entry-level backgrounds | |
| Princeton School of Architecture | UG architecture via general application (undergrad Princeton ~3.9%) | — | ~9%, ~89 accepted → 37 enrolled | PhD available in Architecture; cohort small, no rate posted | Intellectual, conceptual rigor, very small cohort, humanities-driven |
| Cornell AAP | UG Architecture dept ~10.25% overall Cornell UG | ~496/year architecture undergrads | ~21%, 608 apps → 127 accepted → 48 enrolled | PhD in history/theory; small, highly selective | Education abroad majors, sustainability, research-based studios |
| UCLA Architecture | UG admission into Arts & Architecture school; overall UA rate ~10.8% | ~44 undergrad architecture majors, 315 grad students | ~54%, ~132 admits from ~244 apps → ~41 new registrants | No architecture-specific PhD program publicly listed | LA context, material experimentation, real-world studios |
| SCI‑Arc | UG not tracked | — | ~65% acceptance, ~50 enrolled | No PhD program | Experimental, avant-garde, studio-intense |
| McGill School of Architecture | UG ~5–10% for non-Quebec students (~48 entering) | ~48/year | ~ likely similar selective small cohort; ~35 M.Arch seats | PhD offered; small cohort; rate not public | Community-driven, Canadian accreditation (CACB), small class sizes |
🔍 Insights from the Table
- UC Berkeley’s M.Arch remains among the most selective for public universities, with only about 6.5% admitted into a tightly controlled cohort of ~68 students; a model geared toward mission-driven design and justice.
- MIT’s M.Arch is even narrower (around 4%), with only ~25 students per class, underscoring a research- and technique-intensive focus.
- Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and Harvard offer larger M.Arch programs (60–250), with acceptance rates ranging from ~9% to ~17%, emphasizing different blends of theory, history, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
- Cornell mixes a respectable size (~48 enrolled) with global programming and strong architecture tradition, though admits a larger share (~21%).
- UCLA, SCI-Arc, and McGill offer more accessible profiles: UCLA’s program admits over half of its applicants, SCI-Arc nearly two-thirds, and McGill is competitive, selectively (~5–10%), but on a uniformly small scale.
Strategic Advice If You’re Trying to Get Into UC Berkeley
Undergraduate:
- Nail the UC essays. Show how architecture isn’t just something you want to study, but something you already think about in nuanced ways.
- Show range: academic rigor, creative initiative, and a hint that you know buildings are about people.
- Understand that once you’re in, it’s a leap into deep waters. You’ll need to catch up fast in design studios.
M.Arch:
- Your portfolio should tell a story. Not just what you’ve made, but why it mattered.
- Be specific in your statement of purpose. Why Berkeley? Why now? How does your past work connect with what Berkeley teaches?
- Emphasize values as much as vision: equity, sustainability, justice.
What These Numbers Don’t Capture
Berkeley architecture is less a program and more a crucible. The studio culture is intense. The professors don’t sugarcoat. And yet, students come out of it not just as architects, but as thinkers who see the built world as something deeply tied to ethics and equity.
I’ve heard it said that Berkeley doesn’t just teach you to make space, it teaches you to make meaning. That might sound romantic, but ask any graduate, and they’ll probably nod. Slowly. With the kind of look people give when they’ve been through something transformative.
The acceptance rates are daunting. But if you’re looking for a place where design meets responsibility, where aesthetics serve ethics, then this isn’t just a hard place to get into. It’s the right one to try for.
