Average SAT Score for UC Berkeley (2025-26 Data)
Key Takeaways
- UC Berkeley has no average SAT score: the University of California is test-blind and does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions or scholarships.
- UC Berkeley's Common Data Set 2025-26 marks the SAT and ACT as not considered for admission, even if submitted, for students applying for Fall 2027, and leaves its SAT percentiles blank.
- The Fall 2025 first-year class had an average high school GPA of 3.9; 89.9% had a GPA of 3.75 or higher.
- For the Fall 2025 class, 126,864 students applied and 14,524 were admitted, an admit rate of about 11.4% by our calculation.
- Berkeley's application filing period is October 1 to November 30, and it does not offer early action or early decision.
Table of Contents
UC Berkeley has no average SAT score to report, because it does not use the SAT. The University of California is test-blind: “UC will not consider SAT or ACT test scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships” (University of California, filling out the application). UC Berkeley’s own Common Data Set 2025-26 leaves every SAT percentile blank and reports instead that the Fall 2025 class had an average high school GPA of 3.9.
The Common Data Set is the standard report universities publish about their own entering class. Below: what Berkeley’s test-blind policy means, the grade profile it does publish, its deadline, and what an SAT score is still useful for if Berkeley is on your list.
Does UC Berkeley use SAT scores in admission?
No. In section C8 of its Common Data Set 2025-26, UC Berkeley marks the SAT and the ACT as “Not considered for admission, even if submitted” for students applying for Fall 2027, and adds in a note: “we do not take into account regular SAT or ACT scores” (UC Berkeley Common Data Set 2025-26, section C8).
That is what test-blind means. A test-optional university reads your score if you send one; a test-blind one does not read it at all, so a high score cannot help and a low one cannot hurt. Because no scores are used, section C9, where universities report the percentage of students submitting the SAT and their 25th, 50th and 75th percentile scores, is empty in Berkeley’s report. Any “average SAT score for UC Berkeley” you see quoted for a recent class did not come from the university.
The scores are not entirely without use. The University of California says SAT and ACT scores “may be used as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum requirements for eligibility or for course placement after you enroll,” and that they “may only be reported in your application post-submission” (University of California, filling out the application).
What grades do UC Berkeley students have?
With no test scores in the decision, the Common Data Set’s grade figures are the closest measure of where the admitted class sits.
| High school GPA | Share of Fall 2025 first-year class |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 39.8% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 50.1% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 8.1% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 1.4% |
| Below 3.25 | 0.6% |
| Measure | Fall 2025 entering class |
|---|---|
| Average high school GPA | 3.9 |
| Students who submitted a high school GPA | 100% |
| Students submitting SAT scores | Not reported (SAT not considered) |
Source for every figure: UC Berkeley Common Data Set 2025-26, sections C11 (GPA distribution, all enrolled students) and C12 (average GPA), published by the university’s Office of Planning and Analysis. The “below 3.25” row adds the report’s 3.00–3.24 (0.3%), 2.50–2.99 (0.2%) and 2.00–2.49 (0.1%) rows. Retrieved 6 October 2026. The next Common Data Set, for the Fall 2026 class, will replace these figures.
When is the UC Berkeley application deadline?
Berkeley takes applications through the single University of California application. “The application filing period is October 1 – November 30. All applications must be submitted by November 30” (UC Berkeley Admissions, dates and deadlines). For Fall 2027 that means November 30, 2026, and the University of California says Fall 2027 decisions are released from March 1 to 31, with some campuses releasing earlier (University of California, dates and deadlines). “UC Berkeley does not participate in early action or early decision” (UC Berkeley Admissions, first-year applicants).
How selective is UC Berkeley?
For the Fall 2025 class, 126,864 students applied, 14,524 were admitted and 6,687 enrolled (Common Data Set 2025-26, section C1). By our calculation from those figures, that is an admit rate of about 11.4%. For fall 2025, Berkeley admitted 1,469 international first-year students from 24,040 international applicants, about 6.1% (as of July 2025, source: Berkeley News).
Is the SAT still worth taking if you are applying to UC Berkeley?
For Berkeley itself, no score will change the decision. Most students applying to the US, though, apply to more than one university, and many of the others do read the SAT. If your list mixes UC campuses with test-optional or test-required universities, a strong score still matters for those. Estimate your SAT score with our SAT score calculator to see where a practice result places you.
If you have not sat a full test yet, take a free full-length SAT practice test for a baseline, and the SAT self-prep course covers both sections if the other universities on your list need a score. To work out which universities on your list read the SAT and which do not, talk to an admissions counsellor about your university shortlist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average SAT score for UC Berkeley?
There is none to report. UC Berkeley is test-blind, so it does not use SAT scores, and its Common Data Set 2025-26 leaves every SAT percentile in section C9 blank. Any recent SAT average quoted for Berkeley did not come from the university.
Does UC Berkeley require the SAT?
No. The University of California says it will not consider SAT or ACT scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships, and Berkeley’s Common Data Set lists both tests as not considered for admission, even if submitted, for Fall 2027 applicants.
Is UC Berkeley test-optional or test-blind?
Test-blind. A test-optional university reads a score if you send one. A test-blind university does not read it at all, so a score can neither help nor hurt your application to Berkeley.
Should I send my SAT score to UC Berkeley?
It will not be used in the admission decision. The University of California says SAT and ACT scores may only be reported after you submit the application, and may be used to meet minimum eligibility requirements or for course placement after you enroll.
What GPA do you need for UC Berkeley?
Berkeley does not publish a minimum in its Common Data Set. The Fall 2025 first-year class averaged a 3.9 high school GPA; 39.8% had a 4.0 and 50.1% had between 3.75 and 3.99.
What is the UC Berkeley acceptance rate?
For the Fall 2025 class, 126,864 students applied and 14,524 were admitted (Common Data Set 2025-26, section C1). That is an admit rate of about 11.4% by our calculation.
How many international students does UC Berkeley admit?
For fall 2025, Berkeley admitted 1,469 international first-year students from 24,040 international applicants, about 6.1% (as of July 2025, source: Berkeley News).
When is the UC Berkeley application deadline for Fall 2027?
Berkeley’s application filing period is October 1 to November 30, and all applications must be submitted by November 30. For Fall 2027 entry that is November 30, 2026.
Does UC Berkeley have early action or early decision?
No. Berkeley says it does not participate in early action or early decision. Every first-year applicant applies in the same October 1 to November 30 filing period.
Is the SAT worth taking if I am applying to UC Berkeley?
Not for Berkeley itself. It is worth taking if other universities on your list read SAT scores, which many US universities outside the University of California do.
