As high school seniors are rising to begin and complete their college application process, they have to note a major shift at UC Berkeley. It has recently been awarded the number one spot among public universities in the country, according to the Wall Street Journal. As a result, being the number one increases the desire to be accepted by seniors going through the college application process during their last year in high school. UCLA has gained immense fame and recognition as the top public school, a title it has held since 2018, spanning eight consecutive years until 2025. However, coincidentally, UC Berkeley, as of September 29th, had become the new top public college in the country, breaking the eight-year record held by UCLA, according to the Wall Street Journal.
For a school to increase its ranking, it must be evaluated on its student outcomes, academic resources, and reputation. U.S. News provides a detailed explanation of what a school needs to be eligible for the ranking, such as granting bachelor’s degrees and offering traditional campus-based education, to even be considered and rank high.
UC Berkeley’s status was confirmed by The Wall Street Journal, a renowned news publication, through a ranking methodology that measures the success rates of graduating students in their careers and financial success after graduation.
“It most heavily weighs the impact a college has on graduate salaries, beyond an estimate of what they would have earned from attending college in general. After graduate salaries, the rankings considered factors such as graduation rates and diversity. They used a survey of 120,000 students and recent alumni from colleges across the country to measure teaching quality, student satisfaction, and more.” -Wall Street Journal Ranking.
Here is what Ms. Jyl, who handles and guides students at the college and career center, has to say on the risk of the ranking affecting student stress:
“I would encourage students to focus on a campus that aligns with their major, support systems, and environmental preferences. Rankings constantly change…focus on you, what you believe feels best, and where you will thrive.”
This insight from someone on Santiago High School’s campus who is very well-informed about the entire college process, but most importantly, knowledgeable about the stresses that students feel during this time.
As of the Fall of 2023, UCLA had first-year application rates of:
-Application: 145,910
-Admits: 12,737
-Enrolled: 6,587
-Admit Rate: 9%
As of the Fall of 2023, UC Berkeley had first-year application rates of:
-Applicants: 126,836
-Admits: 14,451
-Overall Admit Rate: 11.4%
This is very important to consider because, before the change in status, UCLA had higher overall numbers. In turn, students will be more persuaded to apply and hope to be accepted into Berkeley over UCLA.
UC Berkeley has been praised thoroughly in the past week for its recent standing in the UC ranking, currently fifteenth in the nation, and has moved up to its long-standing number two spot. Chancellor Rich Lyons has been very forthcoming regarding all of the recent praise and excitement around the change.
“The data affirm all that Berkeley does as a powerful engine of economic mobility, and a provider of affordable world-class education, accessible to all. We are proud of our pioneering research on society’s top challenges, shaping solutions that directly support our economy and the health, well-being, and security of the American people.”
The status change indicates that these students will not only have the benefits to praise that they are studying at the number one rated public university in the country. Also, it has the perks of having the opportunity to be surrounded by higher-quality students and staff, and to strengthen the competition with the school’s stronger reputation. In full retrospect, Berkeley was already a respected university to begin with and will now become a topic of boastful talk about in increasing numbers, just as UCLA had been.
