# Academics

**Source**: https://admissions.berkeley.edu/academics/
**Parent**: https://admissions.berkeley.edu/apply-to-berkeley/

## A UC Berkeley undergraduate education can transform your life. Whether you’re interested in starting your own company, or going off to graduate school, a Berkeley education provides you an experience of a lifetime.

With approximately 13,000 undergraduate courses, labs, and sections to choose from (taught annually), you can create a rich and personal academic experience and still graduate in four years.

You can double (or triple) major, study abroad, do research with faculty, and more.

- [Academic Programs & Majors](/academics/academic-programs-majors/)
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- [Study Abroad Opportunities](/academics/study-abroad/)

UC Berkeley is also the only university with a (nearly) half-century tradition of student-run democratic education, De-Cal, a program allowing students to create and facilitate their own classes. Another outstanding aspect of a Berkeley undergraduate education is research. We are the only university to offer undergraduates the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research as early their first-year and outside of their major. Research opportunities for undergraduates include many College-specific programs, the Big Ideas Initiative, and Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program.

Learn more about the many [academics enrichment resources and support](/academics/academic-support/).

### We are proud that…

- **68%** of Berkeley students graduate with no debt
- Roughly **two-thirds** of Berkeley students receive some form of financial aid
- Berkeley is **ranked in the top 5** of [Best Value Colleges](https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/) by *Forbes*
- Berkeley is among the top universities in the country for [**upward mobility of students**](https://news.berkeley.edu/2017/01/18/berkeley-among-top-u-s-universities-for-upward-mobility/).
- **80%** of students graduate with either a job offer or graduate school admission offers.
- Berkeley is among the **top producers** of CEOs and students who start their own businesses.
- Over 1,000 companies founded by Berkeley grads in the past 10 years