Why Berkeley?
Berkeley is one of the world's most dynamic education centers. The campus, the surrounding community and the San Francisco Bay Area provide unique intellectual and cultural stimulation.
A major research center, Berkeley is a place where ideas are conceived and tested. Students have access to over ten million volumes on the shelves of the university's 18 libraries. Some of the most distinguished teachers and scholars in the world teach classes on campus, and the faculty includes eight Nobel laureates.
The quality of the student body complements the stature of the faculty. The diversity of students reflects the rich mix of cultures in California as well as the many countries represented by international students. The majority are Californians, but students come from every part of the United States and from many other nations. UC Berkeley is committed to assuring diversity among its students and to multicultural education-elements it considers essential to a great university.
In addition to an exciting academic community, the campus offers a program of concerts and special events that compete with that of any metropolitan city. The campus has both state-of-the-art athletic facilities and nationally ranked sports teams. The University includes an art museum, an anthropology museum, and the Pacific Film Archive, which offers one of the largest and most varied film collections in the world.
San Francisco is just a short drive from campus across the Bay Bridge or a quick trip on Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) which has a station one block from campus.
The City of Berkeley boasts treelined streets, a Mediterranean climate, and a range of restaurants from inexpensive ethnic discoveries to gourmet havens. Near campus students can relax at sidewalk cafes or the almost countless bookstores or browse among the wares of street craftspeople.
Most students at Berkeley live in the greater San Francisco Bay Area where great views are daily companions. Northern California with its natural beauty and variety of recreational opportunities is within easy reach. The University and its surroundings make Berkeley one of the most desirable places in the world to learn and to live.
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