Scholars finish with a degree in hand. Here’s what changes.
From the numbers to the people behind them, here’s what a degree changes.
453
scholars supported since 2008
80%
of BCS scholars graduate within 4.5 years
105
scholars in college this year
30
earned their degrees this year
80% of BCS scholars graduate within 4.5 years, whether they start at a community college or a bachelor’s degree institution. Only 16% of students from similar demographics nationally graduate within six years.
Community Impact
75%
of adults in Berkeley hold a bachelor’s degree
Closing Berkeley’s gap.
Nearly 75% of adults in Berkeley hold a bachelor’s degree. Our scholars come from the households that figure leaves out: first in their families to attend college, from families in the lowest economic quartile, and underrepresented in higher education. Every degree they finish moves a household across that line and changes where the next sibling starts.
93%
of our funding comes from individual donors
Berkeley invests in its next generation.
This is a community program, not a foundation program. Nearly 93% of our funding comes from individual donors: neighbors, alumni, local businesses. More than 200 community mentors have given their time over the past two decades, and nearly 25 of them were scholars themselves. Scholars come back and give. That’s the program working.
2026
Class of 2026: UC Berkeley, Howard, Parsons, SF State and more
Degrees that become careers.
A degree is the first goal, but a career is the next one. The class of 2026 finished at UC Berkeley, Howard, Parsons, San Francisco State and a dozen campuses in between. Their degrees were in health sciences, computer engineering, business, psychology, political science and design. BCS career readiness runs alongside advising from the start.
Impact Reports
We publish one impact report a year after the fiscal year ends.
Earlier reports: FY24 | FY23 | FY22
Give to support a scholar’s path to a degree.
You’ve seen what finishing takes. Your gift is the part that makes it possible to stay on track.