Economics

Tuition Information

2026-27 (fall 2026 and spring 2027, for undergraduates who entered in 2026-27): Berkeley's registrar bills nonresident undergraduates, including international students, US$31,275 a semester. That is tuition of US$7,101, a US$693 student services fee, a US$936 Berkeley campus fee, a US$236 transit fee, a US$141 instructional resilience and enhancement fee, US$19,635 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition and US$2,533 for the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), which can be waived with equivalent cover. That comes to US$62,550 a year, plus a one-time US$250 document management fee for new students. Financial Aid and Scholarships' 2026-27 budget for a student in a campus residence hall adds US$16,640 for housing, US$7,000 for the meal plan and US$7,754 in personal costs (extra food, books and supplies of US$1,342, personal expenses and transport), so the nonresident cost of attendance is about US$93,944 (our total: the published US$54,674 residence-hall budget plus the US$39,270 nonresident supplemental tuition). For visa documents, the Berkeley International Office's 2026-27 budget asks undergraduates to show US$84,150 (US$62,550 in tuition and fees plus US$21,600 in living costs). International students cannot get US federal or California state aid, but all admitted international undergraduates are automatically considered for the Regents' and Chancellor's Scholarship and, where eligible, need-based programs such as the Robinson International Scholars, International Leaders and Swaniker Scholars. Berkeley sets undergraduate rates by entering class, and the rates for students starting in fall 2027 had not been published when we checked

Admission Requirements

• School and admission route: College of Letters and Science. You can show Economics as your intended major on the UC application, but first-year students are not declared on arrival: declaring Economics is admission-based. You must finish the prerequisites (Econ 1 or 2, two calculus courses, an introductory statistics course and two of the three intermediate core courses) with at least a C in each, and apply by your fifth semester or before reaching 80 units, whichever comes second. Students who meet these requirements are guaranteed admission to the major, and the department advises planning an alternate major
• Testing: test-free. Berkeley does not use SAT or ACT scores anywhere in its admission process; scores you send are only used for course placement or credit if you enrol
• English proficiency (unless you have had 3 or more years of secondary schooling taught in English; a mixed language of instruction does not count): Berkeley lists minimums of TOEFL iBT 4.5 on the scale used from January 2026 (90 on the older 0-120 scale), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo English Test 115. AP English Language or Literature scores of 3-5, IB English A scores of 6-7 at standard level or 5-7 at higher level, ACT English Language Arts 24 or SAT Writing and Language 31 also count. UC does not accept TOEFL MyBest scores or the IELTS One Skill Retake. You must meet the requirement by 31 January, and scores must still be valid two years from your enrolment date (Berkeley's TOEFL code is 4833)
• Academic requirements: you must finish secondary school with a certificate that admits you to university in your own country (IGCSE or O-levels alone are not enough; Berkeley expects A-levels with at least three academic exams, the IB Diploma or a similar programme), plus UC's A-G subject requirements with at least a 3.4 GPA in A-G courses taken in grades 10 and 11 for non-California applicants. Report your grades exactly as they appear on your school records. Admission is highly selective and holistic: you answer 4 of 8 Personal Insight Questions, and Berkeley does not hold admission interviews (optional InitialView materials for international applicants are accepted until 30 November). If admitted, you need a sponsor's guarantee of funds for the first year before the Berkeley International Office issues visa documents