Educational Programs and Student Opportunities
Empowering students with transformative learning opportunities and real-world experiences to become the innovative leaders of the future
#1 public university
UC Berkeley is the #1 public university and consistently ranks among the very best universities in the world, and undergraduate programs at the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society continue to rank highly.
Our undergraduate data science program retained its #1 spot in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Our undergraduate computer science program was ranked #2, tied with Carnegie Mellon University and Stanford University.
Top graduate programs
Our graduate programs also came out on top in 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings:
- #1 in computer engineering, tied with MIT
- #1 in electrical engineering, tied with MIT and Stanford University
- #2 in statistics
- #4 in computer science
Berkeley graduate programs in chemistry, business, education, public policy and more were also listed in the top 10 for their disciplines.
New visiting students program
The Berkeley Global Computing and Data Science Program was added this year to offer visiting undergraduate students from the United States and abroad the opportunity to pursue academic studies at our college.
Students gain new perspectives and explore solutions to society’s greatest challenges through computing and data science, while participating in an academic environment that encourages intellectual curiosity and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Generosity leads to positive impacts
When Roger Lo ’99 left Taiwan to pursue a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley, he was not aware how profoundly the experience would shape his future. “My time at Berkeley changed my life,” Lo said. "From beginning to the end of my studies at Berkeley, I was immersed in intellectual rigor that pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of, given the freedom to question and think independently, and supported by a culture of generosity.” As active members of Cal Parents Board, Lo and Yining Wang found connections to other families who share a commitment to Berkeley’s public mission and supporting students through philanthropy. Inspired by their experiences, they made a gift to the CDSS Student Success Fund to help connect first-year and transfer students with mentors, study groups, social events and career exploration opportunities.
“Berkeley is taking a proactive and interdisciplinary approach to artificial intelligence. It’s not just about advancing technology, it’s about understanding broader impact and responsibility.”
— Roger Lo, '99 Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering
Nearly 2,000 graduating students
The college held two commencement ceremonies at the Greek Theatre on May 22, 2026, to recognize nearly 2,000 students graduating from the college with bachelor of arts degrees in computer science, data science and statistics. In his address, Michael I. Jordan outlined major challenges posed by the use of AI, including job displacement, increased inequality, the proliferation of fake AI-generated content, and the need for an overhaul of education. Jordan is the Pehong Chen Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences and the Department of Statistics at UC Berkeley. “I believe that there will continue to be jobs in which the possibility of deep human-human connection is a critical part of the job,” he said. “These will not be going away, and there will be even more of them in the future.”
Finding community
Sejal Sarda ’26 completed her undergraduate degree in data science with a domain emphasis in urban science and a minor in city and regional planning. When she first arrived at Berkeley from Bahrain, Sarda intended to complete a degree in architecture but decided to change her major after taking the Data 8: Foundations of Data Science course. “I never knew data science was a thing, until I came [to Berkeley],” she said. “It was such a profound feeling to find something that finally felt right for me.”
Photo credits — 1, 4: Isabella Kira/ UC Berkeley College of Computing, Data Science, and Society; 2: Keegan Houser; 3: David Apilado Jr.; 5: Courtesy of Roger Lo; 6: KLC fotos/ Marcus Edwards; 7: Courtesy of Sejal Sarda; 8: KLC fotos/ Don Collier; video: UC Berkeley College of Computing, Data Science, and Society