Berkeley City College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Berkeley, California. It enrolls 4,456 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (2-Year). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
60/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes37
Value62
Affordability32
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Berkeley City College generally admits all qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Berkeley City College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $9,096 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$9,096
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
13%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
1%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$1,258
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$9,898
Room & Board (off-campus)
$22,820
Books & Supplies
$1,492
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,986
Total Cost of Attendance
$18,845
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$7,979
$30,001 – $48,000
$7,182
$48,001 – $75,000
$12,123
$75,001 – $110,000
$13,213
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$2,50010%percentile
$3,50025%percentile
$10,00075%percentile
$18,65090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $9,500
—
No Pell $6,500
—
Dependent students $6,625
—
Independent students $10,500
—
Female students $9,000
—
Male students $9,500
—
What this means:
13% of students receive Pell grants. Most cost is borne by families above Pell thresholds. Verify your individual aid offer before deciding.
Graduation Rate & Retention
7% of full-time students who enrolled at Berkeley City College graduate within six years, and 64% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
7%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
64%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Berkeley City College earn a median of $41,217 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$41,217
Earning > $25K
61%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$35,300
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$44,300
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $9,000, about 20% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
What this means:
Solid return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$4.5 of median earnings 10 years out.
Who Studies Here
Berkeley City College is home to 4,456 students, a mid-sized community. Some distinctive traits: 47% are first-generation college students, 80% study part-time.
Total Enrolled
4,456
Part-Time
80%
First-Generation
47%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 28.8%1,282
White 22.4%998
Asian 17.7%789
Black 17.3%769
Other 8.4%373
International 1.0%45
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Berkeley City College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Midsize CityBerkeley, California
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
35%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
What You Can Study
Berkeley City College offers
a varied set of programs:
33 distinct programs across
18 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Berkeley City College is 34:1, high (larger classes are common).
Student : Faculty
34:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$3,372
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$108,924
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
73 instructional faculty across 1 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Instructors
73
100%
$108,924
Pros & Cons of Berkeley City College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Berkeley City College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Very affordable net price after aid
Open admissions
First-gen-friendly student body
Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
Larger class sizes than typical
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Berkeley City College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.
Frequently Asked Questions about Berkeley City College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Berkeley City College.
Is Berkeley City College hard to get into?
Berkeley City College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Berkeley City College?
Berkeley City College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Berkeley City College cost?
The average net price after aid at Berkeley City College is $9,096 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Berkeley City College worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $41,217 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $9,096 per year. That's roughly 4.5x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Berkeley City College known for?
Berkeley City College is best known for its programs in Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Business Administration. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Berkeley City College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Berkeley City College are $41,217, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Berkeley City College accredited?
Yes. Berkeley City College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
How many students attend Berkeley City College?
Berkeley City College enrolls 4,456 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Berkeley City College?
Berkeley City College graduates 7% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Berkeley City College a public or private college?
Berkeley City College is a Public institution.
Where is Berkeley City College located?
Berkeley City College is located in Berkeley, California.
What programs does Berkeley City College offer?
Berkeley City College offers 33 distinct programs. The most popular include Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Business Administration.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Berkeley City College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Berkeley City College is 34:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in California
Other colleges in California share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
