University of California at Berkeley

The Original UC.

The College of California, founded by former Congregational minister Henry Durant from New England, was incorporated in 1855 in Oakland. Its curriculum was modeled after that of Yale and Harvard. While the College of California was in its infancy, efforts continued in the state legislature to create a public educational institution, and in 1866 the legislature took advantage of the federal Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862 to establish the Agricultural, Mining, and Mechanical Arts College. The two schools merged in 1868, establishing the first University of California.

Academics at Cal.

With nearly 300 degree programs, Berkeley is known around the world for its academic excellence. UC Berkeley's more than 130 academic departments and programs are organized into 14 colleges and schools. These include its largest, the College of Letters & Science; the Haas School of Business; Boalt Law School; the Graduate School of Journalism; the Richard & Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy, and the College of Chemistry. Students come from all over the state, nation, and world; at UC Berkeley, diversity is not a concept-it’s a reality.

The Cal Bears.

UC Berkeley offers a full range of men's and women's intercollegiate sports, as well as a comprehensive intramural sports program. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, crew, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, rugby, soccer, swimming, diving, tennis, water polo, and track and field. Women’s programs comprise basketball, crew, cross country, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, diving, tennis, volleyball, water polo, and track and field. Every year, the Cal Bears football team plays rivals Stanford University in the Big Game, and often supplies the NFL with great professional players.