Pacific Admissions GroupEasiest and hardest majors to transfer into at UC Berkeley
Based on UC's official fall 2025 data, the UC Berkeley majors with the highest transfer admit rates (among majors with at least 100 applicants) were English (78%), History of Art (76%) and Philosophy (74%). The hardest were Computer Science (3%), Business Administration at Haas (5%) and Nutritional Science (8%). Overall, Berkeley admitted 22% of transfer applicants that year. A higher admit rate doesn't make a major easy: the middle 50% of admitted students in English still had GPAs of 3.41 to 3.90.
Source: University of California Information Center, Transfers by major, fall 2025. We only ranked majors with at least 100 applicants. GPA ranges are the 25th to 75th percentile of admitted students.
Easiest UC Berkeley majors for transfers (fall 2025)
The highest admit rates among majors with 100 or more transfer applicants.
| Major | College | Applicants | Admits | Admit rate | Admitted GPA (middle 50%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Letters & Science | 478 | 373 | 78% | 3.41–3.90 |
| History of Art | Letters & Science | 147 | 111 | 76% | 3.36–3.93 |
| Philosophy | Letters & Science | 288 | 212 | 74% | 3.52–3.93 |
| Theater and Performance Studies | Letters & Science | 107 | 67 | 63% | 3.47–3.89 |
| Film | Letters & Science | 365 | 217 | 59% | 3.46–3.90 |
| Global Studies | Letters & Science | 146 | 86 | 59% | 3.60–3.93 |
| Microbial Biology | Natural Resources | 153 | 68 | 44% | 3.51–3.96 |
| Integrative Biology | Letters & Science | 230 | 95 | 41% | 3.65–3.95 |
| Anthropology | Letters & Science | 297 | 115 | 39% | 3.68–3.94 |
| Applied Mathematics | Letters & Science | 727 | 274 | 38% | 3.81–4.00 |
| Molecular Environmental Biology | Natural Resources | 116 | 43 | 37% | 3.60–3.91 |
| Physics | Letters & Science | 237 | 86 | 36% | 3.62–3.98 |
Smaller majors with high admit rates (fewer than 100 applicants) included American Studies (39 applicants, 82%), Rhetoric (77, 69%), Comparative Literature (47, 66%), Gender & Women's Studies (54, 61%) and Linguistics (95, 60%).
Hardest UC Berkeley majors for transfers (fall 2025)
The lowest admit rates among majors with 100 or more transfer applicants.
| Major | College | Applicants | Admits | Admit rate | Admitted GPA (middle 50%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | Computing, Data Science & Society | 1,870 | 50 | 3% | 3.98–4.00 |
| Business Administration (Haas) | Haas School of Business | 2,413 | 118 | 5% | 3.87–4.00 |
| Nutritional Science | Natural Resources | 102 | 8 | 8% | 3.47–3.85 |
| Psychology | Letters & Science | 1,934 | 173 | 9% | 3.78–4.00 |
| Public Health | Letters & Science | 342 | 32 | 9% | 3.65–3.92 |
| Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences | Engineering | 1,171 | 133 | 11% | 3.95–4.00 |
| Environmental Science | Natural Resources | 168 | 20 | 12% | 3.35–3.92 |
| Political Economy | Letters & Science | 253 | 31 | 12% | 3.75–4.00 |
| Sociology | Letters & Science | 837 | 104 | 12% | 3.81–4.00 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Engineering | 698 | 93 | 13% | 3.90–4.00 |
| Political Science | Letters & Science | 1,195 | 150 | 13% | 3.79–4.00 |
| Data Science | Computing, Data Science & Society | 752 | 105 | 14% | 3.80–4.00 |
| Legal Studies | Letters & Science | 189 | 26 | 14% | 3.76–4.00 |
| Economics | Letters & Science | 1,772 | 268 | 15% | 3.84–4.00 |
The 10 most popular transfer majors
The majors with the most transfer applicants in fall 2025. Most of them are also among the hardest to get into.
| Major | Applicants | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration (Haas) | 2,413 | 5% |
| Psychology | 1,934 | 9% |
| Computer Science | 1,870 | 3% |
| Economics | 1,772 | 15% |
| Political Science | 1,195 | 13% |
| Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences | 1,171 | 11% |
| Sociology | 837 | 12% |
| Molecular & Cell Biology | 764 | 31% |
| Data Science | 752 | 14% |
| Applied Mathematics | 727 | 38% |
Why a high admit rate doesn't mean easy
- Admitted students still have strong GPAs. Even in English, the major with the highest admit rate, the middle 50% of admitted students had GPAs of 3.41 to 3.90.
- Applicants are already prepared. Students who apply to these majors have usually completed the major preparation courses, so the pool is stronger than the admit rate suggests.
- The minimums are far below the real bar. Berkeley requires a minimum 3.0 UC-transferable GPA (3.5 for the College of Engineering) and 60 semester units, but admitted students are typically well above that.
Your major choice matters more than ever at Berkeley
Beginning fall 2027, transfer students offered admission to the College of Letters & Science will be directly admitted into the major they select on their application, according to UC Berkeley Admissions. The major you apply to is the major you'll be in, so choose one you actually want and complete its preparation courses on ASSIST.org.
Berkeley majors are spread across colleges
Berkeley's transfer majors sit in different colleges and schools, including Letters & Science, Engineering, Natural Resources, Computing, Data Science & Society, and the Haas School of Business. Each one sets its own requirements, so check the college as well as the major.
Haas is the clearest example. It requires a separate supplemental application, including a video interview, due January 31, and you have to apply to the business major directly. Our Berkeley Haas transfer guide covers it in detail.
How this compares to Berkeley overall
Berkeley's campus-wide transfer admit rate blends every major together. See our UC transfer acceptance rates by campus for Berkeley's overall fall 2026 rate next to the other UCs. This page uses fall 2025 data by major, the most recent available by major, so the two pages cover different years.
Boost your odds
- Complete your major preparation. Look up the required courses for your major on ASSIST.org and finish them before you transfer.
- Keep your GPA strong. In most majors, admitted students' GPAs sit between about 3.6 and 4.0.
- Write strong PIQs. Your Personal Insight Questions are where you show why you're ready for the major. Our UC PIQ guide walks through them.
For requirements, deadlines and admission numbers in one place, see our full guide on how to transfer to UC Berkeley. Applying to UCLA too? See the easiest and hardest UCLA majors for transfers.
Common questions
What is the easiest major to transfer into at UC Berkeley?
Among majors with at least 100 transfer applicants, English had the highest admit rate in fall 2025, at 78%. That doesn't make it easy: the middle 50% of admitted students had GPAs of 3.41 to 3.90, and most had completed the major preparation courses.
What is the hardest major to transfer into at UC Berkeley?
Computer Science, which admitted 3% of transfer applicants in fall 2025 (50 of 1,870). Business Administration at Haas was next, at 5% (118 of 2,413).
What GPA do you need to transfer to UC Berkeley?
The minimum is a 3.0 UC-transferable GPA, or 3.5 for the College of Engineering. Admitted students are well above that: in fall 2025, the middle 50% of admitted transfer students campus-wide had GPAs of 3.66 to 4.00.
Can I pick an easier major and switch later?
It's risky. Starting fall 2027, Letters & Science will admit transfer students directly into the major they choose on the application, and switching into a competitive major after you arrive is difficult. Haas doesn't allow it at all: you must apply to the business major directly. Choose a major you actually want.
Where does this data come from?
From the University of California Information Center's Transfers by major dashboard, fall 2025, the most recent data available by major.
Official sources
Figures are from the University of California, checked October 2026. Rates change every year.
About the author
Manraj, Founder of Pacific Admissions Group
Manraj transferred from a California community college and was admitted to UC Berkeley Haas, UCLA Business Economics, USC Marshall and UC Irvine Merage. He enrolled at Haas. More about us
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