Safety Score
16.37 /1K students
incidents per 1,000 enrolled
Berkeley, CA · Clery Act 2023 · Public
University of California-Berkeley
According to the U.S. Department of Education's Clery Act filings, this profile covers campus safety, crime statistics, fire-safety data, and peer comparison for this 45,699-student campus.
- 16.37
- Incidents / 1k students
- #2,987
- Rank of 3,050
- #299
- CA rank
- 45,699
- Enrolled students
Data updated June 2026
The verdict
University of California-Berkeley reports 16.37 on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students, ranking #2,987 of 3,050 ranked U.S. campuses - with more reported incidents than 99% of ranked campuses its size.
- 16.37
- incidents / 1,000 students
- #2,987
- of 3,050 ranked nationally
- 99%
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 656
- on-campus incidents, 2023
Safety score = reported on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is safer).
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2023
University of California-Berkeley increased from 497 to 656 reported on-campus incidents between the 2022 and 2023 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesUniversity of California-Berkeley is a Public institution located in Berkeley, CA, enrolling approximately 45,699 students. Clery Act data spanning 2021–2023 records 1,437 total on-campus incidents across all reported crime categories. Within CA, it ranks #299 by safety score. Verify with the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act database →
With 45,699 enrolled students, this campus sits in the large research university bracket, which shapes how raw incident counts should be interpreted.
The most frequently reported category at University of California-Berkeley is "Motor Vehicle Theft" with 812 cumulative incidents across the reporting window. Compared to 5 peer institutions of similar enrollment size in CA averaging 5.66 incidents per 1,000 students, University of California-Berkeley reports 189% more incidents per student.
Fire safety data covers 1 reporting year for on-campus residential facilities, logging 9 total fires. Arrests and disciplinary actions span 18 category-year records, covering liquor law violations, drug law violations, and weapons possession on-campus. Federal enforcement history shows 1 recorded Clery Act violation with associated fines, a material signal about institutional compliance.
University of California-Berkeley's safety score of 16.37 incidents per 1,000 students places it in the bottom 2.1% of the 3,050 institutions this survey ranks nationally, meaning the reported incident rate here is higher than at nearly all peer institutions in the dataset. As our methodology explains, a higher reported rate can reflect a more active reporting culture rather than a more dangerous campus, and does not by itself indicate the actual likelihood of experiencing a crime.
National Rank
#2987
See peer comparison
State Rank (CA)
#299
within state peers
Incidents (2023)
656
across 11 crime categories
Where University of California-Berkeley sits among ranked U.S. campuses
On-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 students, every ranked campus with 2,000+ students
16 safer than 1% of 1,807 ranked campuses
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ranked campuses. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act) · 2023
Safety percentile vs. peers
University of California-Berkeley percentile rank 2.1%
National median
Higher percentile = safer than more peers. Rank #2987 out of 3,050 ranked institutions (enrollment >= 500) in the OPE Campus Safety Survey.
Reporting density vs peer median
University of California-Berkeley reports 189% more incidents per student than the median of 5 peer institutions.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $16,347
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $50,547
- Avg Net Price
- $13,481
- Median Debt
- $13,000
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 29%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 11%
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 93%
- Retention Rate
- 97%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $74,919
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $92,446
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 85%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Enrollment scale
How campus size shapes the safety figures
With 45,699 enrolled students, University of California-Berkeley is in the largest 1% of the 5,673 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment. The safety score above already normalizes reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students, so compare it with similarly sized campuses instead of treating a higher raw count as evidence that a campus is less safe. Use the annual crime table to see what was reported, then use the peer comparison to judge the rate against schools of a similar scale. A lower reported rate is not a guarantee of individual safety or a measure of reporting quality.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyUniversity of California-Berkeley: on-campus incidents by year
Rising 131% (284 → 656 incidents)
| Crime Type | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | 33 | 63 | 54 |
| Arson | 14 | 20 | 10 |
| Burglary | 92 | 48 | 55 |
| Fondling | 13 | 17 | 36 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 424 | 307 | 81 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rape | 61 | 17 | 34 |
| Robbery | 18 | 25 | 14 |
| Statutory Rape | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Figures show on-campus incidents
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
18 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 56 | 6 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 23 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 1 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 17 | 3 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 3 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 39 | 33 |
| Liquor | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2022 | 0 | 2 |
| Weapons | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2022 | 7 | 1 |
| Drugs | 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2021 | 23 | 15 |
| Liquor | 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2021 | 6 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2021 | 10 | 0 |
University of California-Berkeley vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer).
CA
University of California-Berkeley
16.37 incidents / 1,000 students
GA
Kennesaw State University
1.44 incidents / 1,000 students
TX
University of Houston
5.53 incidents / 1,000 students
Similar Institutions
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, GA · 45,069 enrolled
Safety Score 1.44
University of Houston
Houston, TX · 46,676 enrolled
Safety Score 5.53
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · 46,678 enrolled
Safety Score 11.65
Utah Valley University
Orem, UT · 44,651 enrolled
Safety Score 0.65
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA · 47,147 enrolled
Safety Score 9.04
Closest by National Rank
Institutions ranked nearest University of California-Berkeley nationally (rank #2987), regardless of size or state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is University of California-Berkeley safe?
University of California-Berkeley has a safety score of 16.37 (total on-campus incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #2,987 nationally out of 3,050+ ranked institutions. Compare this with peer institutions for context.
What crimes are reported at University of California-Berkeley?
Aggravated Assault, Arson, Burglary, Fondling, Incest, and other categories, for calendar year 2023.
How does University of California-Berkeley compare to similar schools?
See the Similar Institutions section below for peers of similar enrollment in CA.
Does University of California-Berkeley have fire safety data?
Yes. University of California-Berkeley reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 9 fires were reported in the most recent year.
Understanding University of California-Berkeley's Safety Profile
University of California-Berkeley in Berkeley, CA enrolls 45,699 students and has a safety score of 16.37 incidents per 1,000 enrolled students , ranking #2987 nationally. This higher score indicates more reported incidents relative to enrollment, though context matters, urban campuses and larger institutions may have different reporting dynamics.
Reported incidents cover 2021 to 2023. On-campus incidents increased from 497 in 2022 to 656 in 2023.
Fire safety data covers on-campus residential facilities. 9 fires were reported in the most recent year.
DOE Enforcement Actions
2023 Clery Act Violation $2,350,000
Third-largest Clery Act fine. DOE found systemic failures in sexual assault reporting and response, including failure to properly classify and report incidents.
Fine assessed. University implemented reforms.
What this means for you
University of California-Berkeley's 16.37 reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students is a starting point for comparison, not a verdict on any student's safety.
- Weigh University of California-Berkeley against similar-size campuses, scale changes what the raw count means. Compare campuses
- A higher count can mean stronger reporting, not more danger. How the data works
- Clery covers campus grounds only. Campus vs. city crime
Figures reflect the 2023 Clery Act reporting year as filed with the U.S. Department of Education.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCampus Editorial
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.