The Berkeley Haas MBA is the two-year, full-time MBA of the University of California, Berkeley, and it is ranked No. 10 in the U.S. News 2026 Best Business Schools list, the highest of any public business school. For fall 2027 entry, the Berkeley Haas MBA Round 2 deadline is 7 January 2027 and Round 3 closes on 1 April 2027. You will record a short video essay, write a 300-word goals essay, send two professional recommendations and a GMAT or GRE score, and, unless you are exempt, meet a TOEFL or IELTS minimum.
Haas admitted 21.4% of applicants for fall 2025 entry, according to U.S. News data reported by Poets&Quants, which makes it one of the more selective schools in the top 10. Its current first-year class, the Class of 2027, posted a median GMAT Focus score of 675 and is 44% international. The whole MBA is STEM designated, and the Class of 2025 earned a median base salary of $167,250, with technology the largest industry. I checked the figures in this Berkeley Haas guide on 29 October 2026.
Berkeley Haas MBA ranking
U.S. News released its 2026 Best Business Schools ranking on 7 April 2026. Haas placed No. 10 for the full-time MBA, up from the previous edition, and the Haas newsroom described it as the top public business school in the list. Poets&Quants (6 April 2026) and Clear Admit (9 April 2026) published the same ranking tables. Haas also kept the No. 1 spot for its part-time Evening and Weekend MBA, which is a separate programme and not covered here.
Berkeley Haas acceptance rate and class profile
Haas does not print an acceptance rate on its class profile. Poets&Quants put it at 21.4% for the class that entered in fall 2025, lower than Tuck (28.3%) or NYU Stern (23.6%). The class is also small: 273 students, so each seat is contested.
| Full-time MBA Class of 2027 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Class size | 273 |
| Median GMAT (classic) | 730 (middle 80%: 669 to 767) |
| Median GMAT Focus | 675 (middle 80%: 637 to 725) |
| Median GRE Verbal / Quant | 161 / 162 |
| Average GPA | 3.67 (middle 80%: 3.4 to 3.91) |
| Average work experience | 5.6 years (middle 80%: 3.2 to 8.2 years) |
| International students | 44% |
| Countries represented | 42 |
| Women | 43% |
Before the MBA, 24% of the class worked in consulting, 21% in technology and 20% in financial services, with smaller groups from health care, nonprofits, consumer goods, the military, government, entertainment, real estate and energy. Haas defines an international student as anyone holding a passport other than, or in addition to, a US passport, so the 44% figure includes dual citizens. If you are from Africa, you will not be unusual simply for being international; your file still has to stand out on goals and leadership.
Berkeley Haas MBA requirements for international students
According to the official Haas full-time MBA admissions page, a complete application has these parts:
- Online application and fee: the fee amount is shown in the application system; the admissions pages I could read did not display it.
- University transcripts: from every college or university you attended.
- Resume.
- GMAT or GRE score report.
- Essays: a video essay of one to two minutes and a 300-word written essay, plus two optional statements.
- Two professional letters of recommendation.
- Interview: by invitation only.
- English proficiency: TOEFL or IELTS, if you are not exempt.
English language requirement
Haas sets its own minimums on its English language proficiency page. Only TOEFL and IELTS are listed there.
| Test | Haas minimum |
|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT (new 1 to 6 scale) | 5 overall, with at least 4.5 in speaking and writing |
| TOEFL iBT (old 0 to 120 scale) | 90 |
| IELTS Academic | 7 overall, with at least 6.5 in speaking and writing |
| PTE or Duolingo | Not listed |
For fall 2027 entry, only tests taken on or after 1 June 2025 count. You are exempt if you earned a degree from a recognised institution in a country where English is the primary language, or if you completed at least one year of full-time university coursework with a B or better in the US, UK, Australia, English-speaking Canada or Singapore. Haas keeps a list of countries whose institutions do not qualify for the first exemption, so check whether your country is on it before you skip the test; do not assume an English-medium degree from Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya qualifies. The TOEFL institution code is 4833, department code 02. IELTS results go electronically to the UC Berkeley Graduate Division, with no code needed.
Berkeley Haas MBA deadlines 2026-2027
Round 1 closed on 10 September 2026. Round 2 closes at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
| Round | Application deadline | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Round 2 | 7 January 2027 | 25 March 2027 |
| Round 3 | 1 April 2027 | 6 May 2027 |
Apply in Round 2
Haas says scholarship funding is limited and may vary by round, and that earlier applicants are usually considered for a wider range of awards. A Round 3 decision on 6 May 2027 also leaves a short window for your I-20 and visa appointment. International applicants should treat 7 January 2027 as their deadline.
Berkeley Haas essays and how to answer them
The 2026-27 prompts below are as reported by GradPilot from the Haas essays page (checked 27 September 2026).
| Essay | What it asks | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 (video, required) | Briefly introduce yourself, then say what makes you feel alive when you are doing it, and why | 1 to 2 minutes, two attempts |
| Essay 2 (written, required) | Your post-MBA career goals, how Haas will help you reach them, and how you plan to stay adaptable as your career changes | 300 words |
| Distance Traveled (optional) | Background, circumstances or experiences that shaped who you are and influenced your perspectives, decisions and aspirations | 300 words |
| Optional statement | Information not covered elsewhere, such as an employment gap or a weak grade; bullet points are fine | 300 words |
Essay 1: the video
You get two attempts, so practise with a timer. Spend about 20 seconds on who you are and the rest on one activity that energises you, with a reason that tells the committee something about how you think. Speak as you would to a classmate, not as if reading a script. Good lighting and clear sound matter more than a fancy background.
Sample opening, for illustration: “I’m Amaka, a supply chain analyst in Abuja, and I feel most alive at 6 a.m. on a Saturday, when I’m teaching thirty secondary school students how to build their first spreadsheet.”
Essay 2: goals and adaptability
Three hundred words is tight. Put the short-term goal (role, industry, company type) in the first sentence, give the long-term goal in one more, then name two or three Haas resources that close a skills gap. Use the last third on adaptability: give one example of a time your plans changed and how you adjusted, then name a second path you would take if your first-choice industry shrinks.
Sample opening, for illustration: “After Haas, I want to join the product team of a climate-technology company such as Tesla Energy or Enphase, building pricing tools for off-grid solar in markets like Nigeria.”
Distance Traveled
This optional essay is worth writing if your path involved real obstacles: financial hardship, being the first in your family at university, moving countries or working while studying. Describe the circumstance briefly and spend most of the words on how it changed your decisions. Skip it if you would only be repeating your resume.
Berkeley Haas interview format
Interviews are by invitation only, and Haas asks applicants not to request one. The Haas interview page lists two formats, both remote: a prerecorded video session and a live remote conversation with a current student or an alum. It does not say how long the interviews last. Prepare for standard behavioural questions about leadership, teamwork and failure, plus “why Haas” and your goals.
What the Haas admissions committee looks for
Haas judges applicants partly against its four Defining Leadership Principles: Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always and Beyond Yourself. Its merit scholarship page says awards also depend on how well you show these principles. In practice the committee looks for:
- A clear, realistic goal that Haas can help with, especially in technology, consulting, clean energy or entrepreneurship.
- Academic readiness: a strong GMAT, GMAT Focus or GRE score and good grades.
- Leadership that improved how things were done, which fits “Question the Status Quo”.
- Humility and teamwork, the idea behind “Confidence Without Attitude”.
- Contribution beyond your own career, such as community work or mentoring.
Berkeley Haas tuition and cost of attendance
As a public university, UC Berkeley charges California residents less than nonresidents. International students cannot hold California residency, so they pay the nonresident rate for both years. The official Haas cost page did not display its 2026-27 tables when I checked; the school says final tuition and fees are approved each July and posted on the Registrar’s fee schedule. The most recent published figures I could confirm are below.
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition, 2026-27 | $90,191 | Poets&Quants, September 2026 |
| Fees, 2026-27 | $2,564 | Poets&Quants, September 2026 |
| Living and other costs, 2026-27 | $46,166 | Poets&Quants, September 2026 |
| First-year total, 2026-27 | $138,921 | Poets&Quants, September 2026 |
| Two-year total | $277,842 | Poets&Quants, September 2026 |
| Nonresident tuition and fees, 2025-26 | $89,033 | Haas cost page via F1GMAT |
Poets&Quants does not label its Haas figure as resident or nonresident, but it sits close to the published 2025-26 nonresident figure, so I would budget at least $138,000 for your first year. A summer term or internship adds costs not shown here.
Berkeley Haas scholarships for international students
Every full-time applicant is considered automatically for merit-based scholarships during the admissions review, with no separate form. Haas says awards depend on your overall application, professional goals, academic record, leadership, intended concentration and how well you reflect the Defining Leadership Principles. Award categories cover diversity, equity and inclusion; academic excellence, leadership and industry; and financial need. The current page does not state whether each category is open to international students.
An older Haas blog guide (October 2020) listed named fellowships such as the Galloway MBA Fellowship, the David Aaker Marketing Fellowship and the Dr. Tahir Fellowship, which it said was meant for international students, especially those who studied in Asia. It also said awards ranged from $5,000 to $125,000. Treat those details as dated, and ask admissions which awards are current. The merit awards page also links to pages on Consortium Fellowships and supplemental scholarships. For outside funding, see our list of scholarships for African students and our American scholarships for international students.
Loans without a US cosigner
Haas links international applicants to a loan options page, but the text I could read did not name any lender, and it does not mention Prodigy Finance or MPOWER. Ask the Haas financial aid office which private lenders it certifies for international students without a US cosigner. You will need to show funding for the full first year to receive your I-20.
Is the Berkeley Haas MBA STEM designated?
Yes. In November 2019 Haas moved all three of its MBA programmes from the general business administration code to Management Science, a STEM field. Eligible F-1 graduates of the full-time MBA can apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving up to three years of US work authorisation after graduation. Unlike Tuck, where only a specific set of electives earns the STEM option, the designation at Haas covers the whole degree.
Berkeley Haas MBA salary and employment
These are the Class of 2025 results, from the Haas newsroom (24 November 2025) and Clear Admit’s summary of the official report.
| Class of 2025 outcome | Figure |
|---|---|
| Graduates seeking jobs | 182 of 229 (79.5%) |
| Had an offer within 3 months | 86% |
| Accepted an offer within 3 months | 84% |
| Had a job within 6 months | 90% |
| Median base salary | $167,250 |
| Mean base salary | $164,930 (a school record) |
| Received a signing bonus | 75% |
| Technology | 38.6% (median base $159,000) |
| Consulting | 26.8% (median base $190,000) |
| Financial services | 15.7% |
| Energy | 5.2% |
| Started their own business | 7% |
Top hirers included McKinsey, Amazon and AWS, Adobe, Microsoft, ServiceNow, Deloitte Consulting, Bain, Nvidia, Morgan Stanley, Google, Boston Consulting Group and Wells Fargo. About 82% of graduates stayed in the western US and nearly 97% of employed graduates worked in the US. Haas does not publish a separate offer rate for international graduates, so ask current international students how their search went.
Costs not covered by the budget
- The application fee, GMAT or GRE fees and score reports, and TOEFL or IELTS fees.
- Credential evaluation, translation and courier fees.
- The SEVIS I-901 fee and US visa fee.
- Flights, a rental deposit and furniture. Rents in Berkeley and the wider Bay Area are among the highest in the US.
- Summer internship relocation if your employer does not pay for it.
- Club fees, conferences and optional international trips.
Common mistakes international applicants make
- Assuming an English-medium degree automatically waives TOEFL or IELTS. Haas has its own exemption rules and an excluded-country list.
- Taking an English test before 1 June 2025; it will not count for fall 2027.
- Missing the speaking and writing sub-score minimums even with a good overall score.
- Reading a script in the video essay. It shows.
- Ignoring the adaptability part of the goals essay.
- Leaving the application to Round 3, when scholarship money is thinner and visa time is short.
Who should apply to Berkeley Haas
Haas suits you if you want technology, clean energy, venture capital or start-ups on the US West Coast, and if you want guaranteed STEM OPT without planning your electives around it. It also suits applicants who like a collaborative culture that values humility. It is a weaker fit if you want investment banking in New York, where Tuck, Stern or Columbia send more graduates, or if a low cost of living matters to you.
Berkeley Haas compared with similar MBA programs
| School | U.S. News 2026 rank | GMAT Focus | Acceptance rate (fall 2025 entry) | First-year cost (2026-27) | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley Haas | No. 10 | 675 median | 21.4% | $138,921 | 7 Jan 2027 |
| Dartmouth Tuck | No. 9 | 682 average (Class of 2028) | 28.3% | $135,331 | 5 Jan 2027 |
| NYU Stern | No. 7 (tie) | 682 average | 23.6% | $140,668 | 15 Jan 2027 |
| UCLA Anderson | No. 18 (tie) | 660 average (Class of 2028) | 31.0% | $137,951 | 6 Jan 2027 |
Acceptance rates and costs are from Poets&Quants’ 2026 analyses and each school’s own budget where available. If you are comparing undergraduate options at the same university, read our UC Berkeley admission guide for international students.
FAQ on the Berkeley Haas MBA for international students
What is the Berkeley Haas MBA acceptance rate?
About 21.4% for fall 2025 entry, according to U.S. News data reported by Poets&Quants. Haas does not publish its own figure.
What GMAT score do I need for Haas?
Haas does not list a minimum score on the pages I read. The Class of 2027 had a median of 675 on GMAT Focus and 730 on the classic GMAT; a score inside the middle 80% range (637 to 725 on Focus) keeps you competitive.
What TOEFL or IELTS score does Haas require?
At least 90 on the old TOEFL iBT scale or 5 on the new scale, or 7 on IELTS, with speaking and writing sub-scores of 4.5 (TOEFL) or 6.5 (IELTS). Tests must be taken on or after 1 June 2025 for fall 2027 entry.
Is the Haas MBA STEM certified for OPT?
Yes. All Haas MBA programmes are classified as Management Science, so F-1 graduates can apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension.
Sources and updates
Checked on 29 October 2026. Ranking: U.S. News 2026 Best Business Schools (released 7 April 2026), as tabulated by Poets&Quants (6 April 2026) and Clear Admit (9 April 2026), and the Haas newsroom (7 April 2026). Deadlines and application components: Haas full-time MBA admissions page. Essays: GradPilot’s report of the Haas 2026-27 essay page (27 September 2026). English rules: Haas English language proficiency page. Interview: Haas interview page. Class figures: Haas class profile. Acceptance rate and 2026-27 costs: Poets&Quants (2026). 2025-26 nonresident cost: F1GMAT’s summary of the Haas cost page. Scholarships: Haas merit-based awards page and the Haas blog scholarship guide (October 2020). STEM: Haas newsroom (14 November 2019). Employment: Haas newsroom (24 November 2025) and Clear Admit (December 2025). We will update the cost table when the Haas cost page shows its 2026-27 figures.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
