University of California, Berkeley

The University of California was created in 1868 from a state constitutional vision for public higher education, and Berkeley’s official history presents the campus as an institution with more than 150 years of milestones, discoveries and public impact. Its historical record includes the admission of its first 17 women in 1870 and the establishment of the student-run Daily Californian in 1871 [1].

UC Berkeley’s official student census counted 33,122 undergraduates and 13,029 graduate students in fall 2025. For the most recently completed academic year, 2024–25, the campus reported 9,338 bachelor’s degrees, 4,279 master’s or professional degrees and 821 doctoral degrees. The same institutional-research source reported 97% one-year retention for fall-2024 freshmen and 96% for fall-2024 transfer entrants [2].

Berkeley’s identity also includes a strong free-expression tradition. The university says the Free Speech Movement began in 1964 when students protested restrictions on political activity on campus; large demonstrations followed, and the university overturned policies restricting the content of speech or advocacy. Berkeley’s official history separately highlights contributions ranging from wetsuits and malaria treatment to earthquake science [1] [3].