Recently, I had the opportunity to visit UC Berkeley, which according to U.S. News and World Report is the #1 public university in the world.  I was impressed with their campus, program offerings and support services for students.

Berkeley is a Tier 1 research institution, has over 30,000 undergrad students, a 95% retention rate and 19.4 to 1 student-faculty ratio. The cost of attendance is approximately $46,008 for residents and $78,582 for out-of-state students.  Their undergraduates graduate with less debt than students at other California institutions and the nation. There is one application for the 9 colleges in the University of California system which include the following schools:

• Berkeley
• Davis
• Irvine
• Merced
• Riverside
• San Diego
• Santa Barbara
• Santa Cruz

The application period is from October 1-November 30.  All students must meet minimum requirements by completing 15 college prep courses earning a C or better with a 3.0 GPA (3.4 for non-residents). Standardized tests and letters of recommendation are not required.  Students will respond to 4 Personal Insight questions.  If you would like to begin your Berkeley journey visit their Admissions page.