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Student Budgets (Cost of Attendance)

Cost of Attendance is your student budget. Your budget is the estimated average and reasonable cost of completing an academic year at UC Berkeley. Your budget serves as the foundation for determining your financial need as well as the amount of qualified aid, including grants and scholarships, that can be offered to you.

Cost of attendance figures are established through student surveys and other research and may include the components below:

  • Tuition and fees (assuming full-time attendance)
  • Books, course materials, supplies and equipment
  • Living expenses (food and housing)
  • Miscellaneous and personal expenses
  • Transportation
  • Health insurance (can be waived if enrolled in equivalent coverage)

The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office may adjust the cost of attendance for students on a case-by-case basis to address individual circumstances.

Nonresidents of California, please see our page on meeting nonresident costs.

The Cal Rentals website provides information about the typical market cost of a one-bedroom apartment and other rental resources in the areas surrounding UC Berkeley. The UC Office of the President also provides information about off-campus housing costs.

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What are my direct costs to UC Berkeley?

Direct costs are what you pay directly to the University of California, Berkeley. Financial aid reduces these costs and will cover the cost of tuition and fees for over a third of Berkeley students.

  • Tuition and Fees: Set amount charged by the university. New out-of-state students pay an additional Nonresident Supplemental Tuition of $34,200.
  • Food and Housing: Charges for University housing and meal plans. Varies based on your residence hall, apartment, or family housing assignment and meal plan.
  • Health Insurance: Students can receive extra aid to cover Berkeley SHIP (Student Health Insurance Plan). SHIP may be waived for personal insurance that is equivalent or better (file waiver by July 1).

Note: Residence hall food and housing costs include the cost of a mini-fridge, prorated based on occupancy, for all residence halls except Blackwell. Residence hall and university apartment budgets also include the $45 RHA fee except Bowles Hall. Students living in Bowles Hall add $4,322.

Direct Undergraduate Costs Charged by UC Berkeley for your Entering Academic Year

Personal Expenses*

Personal expenses are expected indirect costs not billed to your student account. Your financial aid refund and/or work-study earnings, if you receive them, will help cover these expenses. You control these costs, so amounts will vary.

What should I budget for my personal expenses? 

  • Housing and Utilities: Expenses are for nine months (~$1,367/month).
  • Additional Food: For apartments, divide amounts by 9 to develop a monthly food budget. Buying bulk and cooking at home help make this economical.
  • Books and Other Costs: Budgeting and a spending plan are key to managing costs like school supplies, off-campus transportation, and additional living expenses. Your student bus pass will get you around for free.

Estimated Personal Expenses for the Academic Year

Living Arrangement for

2024–25:

 Living in a Campus Residence Hall Living in an On-Campus Apartment Living in an Off-Campus Apartment Living with Relatives
Housing and Utilities n/a n/a $12,300 $3,256
Food $2,036 $5,614 $6,122 $4,476
Books, Course Materials, Supplies, and Equipment $1,132 $1,132 $1,132 $1,132
Miscellaneous and Personal $2,584 $2,584 $2,728 $2,816
Transportation $742 $742 $1,072 $2,444
Total Estimated Personal Expenses $6,494 $10,072 $23,354 $14,124

 

2024–25 estimated average budget for undergraduate students based on a reasonable cost of completing an academic year at UC Berkeley.

For past student budgets, visit our archive.

Graduate Student Budget

 

Please note: The amount of grants and scholarships offered are subject to change and may be prorated based on a student’s actual budget type (e.g., residence hall versus off-campus apartment). UC Berkeley reserves the right to adjust financial aid offers to correct any awarding errors. Changes to qualifying information or revisions of federal, state, or institutional policy may result in updates to aid eligibility and adjustments of financial aid offers. Some or all instruction for all or part of the Academic Year may be delivered remotely. Tuition and fees have been set regardless of the method of instruction and will not be refunded in the event instruction occurs remotely for any part of the Academic Year. Figures for tuition and fees represent currently approved amounts and may not be final. Actual tuition and fees are subject to change by the University of California as determined to be necessary or appropriate. Final approved tuition and fee levels may differ from the amounts presented. If different tuition and fee levels are approved, your costs and your financial aid awards may be adjusted.