MSW Student Life and Demographics

Quick Facts (Data from 2021-2025)

• 98% of Berkeley MSW Grads were retained to graduate in the program

• 92% of Berkeley MSW grads complete the degree in 2 years while 98% complete in 3 years.

• 48% of students entering each year identify as first-generation

• Cohort sizes range from 80-100

Student demographics (Data from 2020-2024)

Racial Identity:

• Latinx of Hispanic, 27.6%

• White, 24/9%

• Asian American/Pacific Islander, 20%

• African American, 6.6%

• American Indian, 0.5%

• Unknown, 3.9%

• Two or More Races, 15.4%

Gender Identity:

• Woman, 72.8%

• Man, 14/1%

• Non-Binary/Genderqueer, 8.1%

• Unknown, 4.4%

• Different Identity, 0.5%

Undergraduate Degrees of Admits:

• Psychology, 30%

• Sociology, Critical Studies, Political Science, or Other Social Sciences, 25%

• Social Welfare/Work, 14%

• Public Health, 5%

• Biological Sciences, 3%

Student Funding Sources:

$1.5 Million a year on average (2018-2023) is awarded from UC Berkeley Social Welfare to MSW students

• Workforce Stipend Programs

• Graduate Division Fellowships

• Social Welfare Departmental Funds

• Grad Student Parent/Caregiver Grants

Social Welfare Student Organizations

Several Registered Students Organizations (RSOs) have started in the School of Social Welfare including the following:

• Asian American Pacific Islander Social Work Caucus (AAPISWC)

• Critical Consciousness Collective (CCC)

• Gerontological Society of America UCB Chapter

• Latinx Social Work Caucus

• Lighting Campfires for Social Wellness (LCSW)

• Mindful Masters

• MSW Black Caucus

• Payment for Placements (P4P) at Berkeley

• Social Welfare Association for the Greater Good (SWAGG)

Campus resources for Graduate Students:

• UC Berkeley Graduate Division

• Grad Div’s Resource Guide

• Diversity & Community Fellows Program

• Inclusive Excellence Hub

• GradPro Career Development

• The Graduate Assembly: Graduate Student Government 

• Graduate Writing Center

• Graduate Student Instructor Teaching & Resource Center

• Graduate Student Housing

Other Campus Resources Accessible to All Students:

• Berkeley Library

• Berkeley Career Engagement 

• Center for Financial Wellness

• Basic Needs Center

• Gender Equity Resource Center

• Trans Resource Hub

• Student Parent Center

• PATH to Care Center

• Organization Advising and Student Involvement Services (OASIS)

• Disabled Students Program

• University Health Services (UHS)

• D-Lab

• Berkeley International Office (BIO)