Berkeley City College is a public community college in downtown Berkeley, California. Its own website states the college was established in 1974, sits two blocks from UC Berkeley, and offers more than 100 degree and certificate programs. It is one of four colleges in the Peralta Community College District, which also runs College of Alameda, Laney College and Merritt College. This guide is written for international applicants, and every fact below comes from official Berkeley City College or Peralta district pages accessed on August 5, 2026. Figures that the college reports about itself are flagged as the college’s own claims rather than independent findings.
Berkeley City College at a Glance
Berkeley City College’s homepage introduces itself as an open-enrollment campus: students interested in its programs are encouraged to apply, and admission does not involve a competitive selection process. The main building is at 2050 Center Street in the heart of Downtown Berkeley, with additional space on the first floor of 2000 Center Street. The college describes itself as being two blocks from UC Berkeley, at a fraction of the cost of a four-year university.
The college is part of the Peralta Community College District, whose Office of International Education (OIE) handles admissions and student support for international students applying for F-1 status at all four campuses. The district is authorized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to issue I-20 forms for its colleges, and Berkeley City College hosts an OIE welcome desk at 2050 Center Street for international students. The college itself reports that 46 percent of its students are first-generation college students (Fall 2023 data), and its homepage highlights a Top 5 position among California community colleges for UC transfer admission rates, an 83 percent admission rate to UC campuses, 22 Associate Degrees for Transfer and 1,306 awards earned by its 2026 graduates. These are the college’s own marketing figures, useful for a sense of positioning but not a guarantee of any individual outcome.
Programs and Areas of Study
Berkeley City College groups its 100-plus degrees and certificates into six Academic and Career Communities: Art, Design, Media and Entertainment; Business and Entrepreneurship; Languages, Stories and Ideas; Math, Science and Technology; People, Place and Society; and Teacher Preparation, Social Work and Helping Professions. Each community has its own counselors and a defined route toward either a career or a four-year university.
Its department list includes Multimedia Arts (animation and game design, digital imaging, mobile and web design, video arts), Science/Biology/Chemistry (astronomy, biology, biotechnology, chemistry, geography, physics), Computer Information Systems and Business (applied computer information systems, business and accounting, computer programming, data science, economics, management and entrepreneurship), Social Sciences (psychology, sociology, political science, child and adolescent development, elementary teacher education, social work and human services), English, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), American Sign Language, mathematics and statistics, and modern languages such as French and Spanish. The college describes its biotechnology program as a statewide model program. Note that course offerings change by semester, so the official schedule and catalog are the authoritative source.
Entry Requirements for International Students
International applicants to Berkeley City College follow the district-wide process run by the Office of International Education. The steps are: create a CCCApply account and select Berkeley City College as the home campus; submit the application, choosing F-1 as the visa type and ticking “no visa yet” if applicable; then request an I-20 through the International Student Portal.
The official application checklist asks for the following: a non-refundable application fee of $50; a bank statement showing $26,040 (issued within six months of the application) to demonstrate funding for one year of study, which is required before an I-20 is issued; diplomas and transcripts for the highest level of education completed, translated into English; evidence of English proficiency; a personal essay of at least 500 words; a medical form covering immunization history and tuberculosis status; a clear copy of the passport bio page; an Affidavit of Support (Form I-134) if a U.S. sponsor will fund the studies; a dependent information form if a spouse or child will accompany as F-2; and, for transfer applicants, transcripts from the current school, copies of all prior I-20s and the F-1 visa page. Applicants who have attended U.S. colleges must also upload unofficial transcripts from those institutions. All documents must be translated into English, and the application is completed entirely online.
English proficiency tests are not a hard requirement: the FAQ notes that TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo scores are not mandatory, though a TOEFL iBT score of 61 or an IELTS score of 6 typically places students in the highest two ESOL levels with access to some academic classes. Applicants below “High Intermediate” level (the checklist defines this as iBT below 67, IELTS below 6.4, Duolingo below 89, or GSP level 3 or lower) receive an I-20 for the ESOL language program and move into associate-level coursework after completing language training. Students who have not taken a test can complete Peralta’s Guided Self Placement instead. Once enrolled, F-1 students must maintain full-time status: a minimum of 12 units each fall and spring semester, with no more than one class or 3 units taken online.
Costs, Fees and the I-20 Financial Requirement
Berkeley City College’s fee schedule is published by the district (the college’s own fees page redirects to it). As of the August 2026 version, California residents pay an enrollment fee of $46 per unit. Non-residents and international students pay the same $46 per unit enrollment fee plus non-resident tuition of $400 per unit (effective Fall 2025), along with a $50 per-semester transportation fee, $2 per-semester campus center and student representation fees, and a health fee of $23 per fall and spring semester or $20 in summer. International students on F-1 status also pay a mandatory international health insurance fee (effective Fall 2025): $775 for a five-month fall term, $1,085 for the seven-month spring/summer period, and $310 for summer for new students only. All fees are due two weeks before the first day of class and are subject to change.
The Office of International Education publishes a one-year estimate for international students based on 30 units: non-resident tuition at $401 per unit (12,030 for the year) plus enrollment fees (1,380) puts tuition and fees at from $13,410; health insurance is estimated at $2,350; housing and meals at $10,000; and other school fees at about $460 (books $300, transportation $106, health center $46 and campus fees). The total estimate is $26,040 for the year, which matches the bank statement amount required for the I-20. The official pages differ slightly on some line items (for example, the insurance figure appears as $2,170 in one breakdown section), so treat the total as an estimate and check the official pages for current figures. For F-2 dependents, the district asks for additional funding of $5,000 for the first dependent and $2,500 for each additional one, giving bank statement totals of $31,040 with one dependent, $33,540 with two and $36,040 with three.
Deadlines and the Academic Year
Application deadlines for international students at Berkeley City College (official OIE apply page, August 2026 version): overseas applicants must apply by November 15 for the spring semester (January to May) and June 15 for the fall semester (August to December); summer entry is not available to overseas new students. Applicants already in the United States on an F-1 visa transferring to the college face deadlines of December 15 for spring, May 15 for summer and July 15 for fall. The office typically does not admit late applicants, and at the time of writing it was accepting applications for Summer and Fall 2026. Overseas students arriving on an initial I-20 may enter the United States up to 30 days before the program start date.
The 2026-27 academic year, per the district’s calendar documents revised July 31, 2026: the Fall 2026 semester begins August 24, 2026, with the refund drop deadline on September 8, final examinations December 13 to 19, and the semester ending December 19. The Spring 2027 semester begins January 25, 2027, with the refund drop deadline February 8, final examinations May 23 to 29, and the semester ending May 29. Petitions for Associate degrees or certificates are due October 16 in the fall and March 12 in the spring.
Support Services and How to Make a Plan
Berkeley City College frames its service model around transfer. The website describes a 2+2 path (two years at the college, two years at a four-year university), 22 Associate Degrees for Transfer with guaranteed-admission pathways into the UC and CSU systems, and its own record as a six-time Champion of Higher Education for Excellence in Transfer recognized by the Campaign for College Opportunity. Career education programs partner with local employers to offer internships and apprenticeships. On campus, students can use counseling, the library, tutoring, student clubs, accessibility services and a new wellness center in the West expansion building scheduled to open in 2026, and the campus is reachable by BART and AC Transit.
The facts in this guide are current as of the official pages accessed on August 5, 2026; fees, deadlines and course offerings change, so always verify against the latest official versions. International applications involve several moving pieces — funding documentation, English placement, visa timing and transfer planning — and it is worth working through them as a whole rather than one at a time. If you would like help mapping your academic background, budget and transfer goals to a realistic plan, our advisors on this site can walk you through the options for your specific situation.