UC Berkeley financial aid for international students is limited compared to need-blind private universities (Princeton, Harvard, Stanford). UC Berkeley is not need-blind for international applicants. UG international scholarships typically range from $5,000 to $20,000/year (₹4.80 to ₹19.20 Lakhs). 45% of first-year students receive need-based aid, but most aid goes to in-state and federal-eligible students. PhD admits get full funding (tuition waiver and stipend of $35,000-$42,000/year).
As UC Berkeley is not need-blind for international students, Indian applicants should plan for substantial self-funding combined with external scholarships and education loans. Visit external scholarships for USA for further information.
Currency Note: All INR conversions use 1 USD = ₹95.40 as of May 26, 2026.
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UC Berkeley UG scholarships for international students are limited and competitive. The flagship awards include the Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarship and Cal Alumni Leadership Scholarship.
| Scholarship | Award Value | Eligibility | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarship | $5,000 to $20,000/year (₹4.80 to ₹19.20 Lakhs/year) | UG admits with strong academic profile (CBSE/ISC 90%+) | Auto-considered with admission |
| Cal Alumni Leadership Scholarship | Up to $20,000 (₹19.20 Lakhs) | UG admits with leadership profile | Separate application required |
| Regents' and Chancellor's Scholarship | $2,500/year (₹2.40 Lakhs/year) minimum | Most exceptional UG admits; auto-considered | Auto-considered with admission |
| UC Berkeley Donor Scholarships | $1,000 to $10,000/year (₹96,000 to ₹9.60 Lakhs/year) | Varies by donor criteria | Apply via Berkeley Scholarship Connection portal |
| Department-specific UG awards | $2,000 to $15,000 (₹1.92 to ₹14.40 Lakhs) | Specific departments (Engineering, Haas, College of Chemistry) | Auto-considered or department application |
UC Berkeley does NOT meet 100% of demonstrated need for international UG students (unlike Princeton or Harvard). Indian UG applicants typically combine UC Berkeley scholarships with external scholarships (Inlaks, JN Tata) and education loans.
University of California, Berkeley offers limited but competitive merit-based funding for international master’s students, particularly in Engineering, Information Management, and quantitative finance programs. Most scholarships are automatically considered during the admission review process and awarded to top academic or professional profiles.
| Scholarship | Award Value | Eligibility | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley MEng Merit Scholarship | $5,000 to $20,000 (₹4.80 to ₹19.20 Lakhs) | Top MEng admits in selected Engineering departments | Auto-considered with offer |
| UC Berkeley MIMS / I-School Merit | $5,000 to $15,000 (₹4.80 to ₹14.40 Lakhs) | Top MIMS admits | Auto-considered with offer |
| UC Berkeley MFE Merit Scholarship | $10,000 to $30,000 (₹9.60 to ₹28.80 Lakhs) | Top MFE admits with strong quant background | Auto-considered with offer |
| Research Assistantship (RA) | Partial tuition + stipend | MS research-track admits matched with PI | Through department/research advisor |
| Teaching Assistantship (TA) | Tuition reduction + $20,000-$25,000 stipend | MS admits selected by the department. | Apply through the department. |
Reddit Insight: Indian Master's applicants on r/MSinUS report that UC Berkeley EECS MS awards Research Assistantships covering full tuition + $32,000-$36,000 annual stipend (₹30.72-34.56 Lakhs) for top admits. MEng programs offer limited merit scholarships ($5,000-$20,000) but most Indian MEng students self-fund. The MFE program is among the most generous at UC Berkeley.
Haas School of Business offers some of the most competitive MBA scholarships among US public business schools. Merit funding is primarily awarded to candidates with exceptional academic profiles, leadership impact, international work experience, and strong post-MBA career potential.
| Scholarship | Award Value | Eligibility | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haas Merit Scholarship | $10,000 to Full Tuition (up to $135,000 over 2 years) (₹9.60 Lakhs to ₹1.30 Crores) | Top MBA admits with strong work history and GMAT 730+ | Auto-considered with MBA offer |
| Haas Women in Leadership Scholarship | $10,000 to $30,000 (₹9.60 to ₹28.80 Lakhs) | Female MBA admits | Auto-considered with MBA offer |
| Haas Diversity Scholarship | $10,000 to $25,000 (₹9.60 to ₹24 Lakhs) | MBA admits from underrepresented backgrounds | Auto-considered with MBA offer |
| Forte Foundation MBA Fellowship | Partial to Full tuition | Female MBA admits committed to women's advancement | Apply through Forte Foundation |
| Robert Toigo Foundation Fellowship | Up to $25,000 (₹24.00 Lakhs) | Underrepresented MBA admits | Apply through Toigo Foundation |
The Haas MBA tuition is approximately $89,033/year ($178,000+ total over 2 years; ₹1.71 Crores). With Merit Scholarship stack ($25,000+/year), the effective MBA cost can drop to $128,000 (₹1.22 Lakhs). Visit MBA scholarships in USA for more options.
Indian applicants at UC Berkeley rely heavily on external scholarships due to limited internal aid. The big four are Inlaks Shivdasani, JN Tata Endowment, Tata Trust, and Aga Khan Foundation.
| Scholarship | Award Value | Eligibility | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarship (internal) | $5,000 to $20,000/year (₹4.80 to ₹19.20 Lakhs/year) | UG admits with strong academics | Auto-applied with admission |
| Haas Merit Scholarship (internal) | $10,000 to Full Tuition | Top MBA admits | Auto-applied with MBA admission |
| Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship | Up to USD 100,000 (₹96 Lakhs) | Indian applicants under 30; UG and Master's | Tentative April 2027 |
| JN Tata Endowment | ₹10 Lakhs loan + ₹7.5 Lakhs gift | Indian applicants for foreign study | Tentative March 2027 |
| Tata Trust Scholarship | Up to ₹10 Lakhs | Indian applicants with strong financial need | Tentative March 2027 |
| Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship | Up to USD 75,000 (₹72 Lakhs) | Master's/PhD applicants from select countries | Tentative March 2027 |
| Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowship | Full tuition + stipend | Indian Master's in select fields | Tentative June 2026 |
Indian UG applicants should pursue Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarship (internal, auto-considered) alongside Inlaks Shivdasani (up to USD 100,000) or JN Tata Endowment. Master's applicants benefit from research assistantships in their department plus external scholarships.
Ques. Does UC Berkeley give scholarships to Indian students?
Ans. Limited. UC Berkeley offers Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarships ($5,000 to $20,000/year), Regents' and Chancellor's Scholarship ($2,500+/year), and department-specific awards ($2,000 to $15,000). UC Berkeley is not need-blind for international students and does not meet 100% of demonstrated need. Indian applicants typically supplement with external scholarships (Inlaks, JN Tata) and education loans.
Ques. What is the maximum scholarship stack at UC Berkeley for an Indian UG applicant?
Ans. An Indian UG applicant can receive: Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarship up to $20,000/year + Regents' Scholarship $2,500+/year + department-specific awards $5,000-$15,000. Combined with external Inlaks Shivdasani (up to USD 100,000) or JN Tata Endowment, total support can reach $50,000+ (₹48.00 Lakhs) for the 4-year UG cost.
Ques. When should I apply for UC Berkeley scholarships?
Ans. Most UC Berkeley scholarships are auto-considered with admission: Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarship, Regents' Scholarship, department awards, and Haas MBA Merit. Apply for admission by December 2, 2026 for UG or programme deadline for Master's to be considered. Some external scholarships (Cal Alumni Leadership) require separate applications.
Ques. Are UC Berkeley Haas MBA scholarships separate or auto-considered?
Ans. Haas MBA scholarships are auto-considered with the MBA offer. Top MBA admits receive merit awards from $10,000 to full tuition ($135,000 over 2 years). The Women in Leadership and Diversity Scholarships are also auto-considered. External fellowships like Forte and Toigo require separate applications.
Ques. Are UC Berkeley PhD students fully funded?
Ans. Yes for most PhD programmes. PhD admits in Engineering (EECS, ME, ChemE), Sciences, Mathematics, Computer Science, Economics, and Humanities receive full tuition waiver + ~$35,000-$42,000/year stipend (₹33.60 to ₹40.32 Lakhs) for 5-6 years, plus health insurance. PhD funding is generally automatic with admission. EECS PhD is highly competitive but fully funded for admits.
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11 Reviews Found
The University of California is one of the best universities in the world and also quite popular for its study programmes and the campus . The admission process is hard and can be confusing sometime but if you have good knowledge and have talked to any student of this college earler then you will not find any problem. Firstly you have to give the GMAT exam in which you have to score more than 720 marks out of 800 to get a seat there and then have to apply for admission online. You can apply for admission online yet you have any problem than instead of visiting any consultant you must go and talk to a alumni of the college.
No
Had a good course structure . Labs had good research going on , professor were great
No
UC Berkeley is ranked extremely highly. They have a great engineering program as well as Nuclear Engineering. The location was amazing in terms of weather as well as prospective internships in silicon valley. It also had many great programs so that I could take more classes, and as such I am minoring in Environmental Policy and Economics. Academics can be challenging as you are surrounded by some of the brightest people. However, studying hard as well as rounding yourself off as a person can be very easy if you put your mind to it. The university offers every chance possible to do so
No scholarship
I wanted to be close to the city. It was has a really good reputation academically.
No
I got into Cornell as well but I chose Berkeley because I wanted to be near a city and in warmer weather and a school which is more fun. I chose to major in Econ because Berkeley has very highly acclaimed economics professors. I have also taken many legal studies classes because Berkeley has a culture and history of activism and I really liked all the professors.
The reason I chose this particular college is that the location of this university is Ideal and ideal programs were provided for my major, ideally, I also admired the chill atmosphere of UC Berkley and indeed am proud of my decision.
I am basically getting a full ride to attend the school, both from financial aid given by the school, and government help. I have a few outside scholarships of around $1000 each. And I also receive help from disability programs at my school.
I chose UC Berkeley because of its location and ideal temperature. It is one of the more distinguished schools and more students are accepted into Medical school when applying with UC Berkeley as your alma mater.
I chose this particular college for many reasons. I would say that I mainly chose because I liked the weather in California and because and I felt it would be in a good state and city where I could further develop my dreams and goals.
I thought I would get the best education here because of its ranking and faculty. I also liked the variety of classes offered and the social climate. There was a good selection of different organizations I would be able to join.
I accepted the blue and gold opportunity plan (or something like that) which covered tuition and fees and gave a small housing stipend (think a month and a half). Sometime the financial aid will release late, but I did always get the money.
The English program is ranked very high and I was accepted. I received higher financial aid here than my other top choice, and the school has a great reputation. The housing is expensive, but if you look hard it won't break the bank. Professors have great reputations as well, great for letters of recommendation.
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