UC Berkeley is consistently ranked among the five top research universities in the world, along with Harvard, Stanford, MIT and others. Berkeley is the top-ranked public university.

According to numerous surveys, UC Berkeley is ranked in the top five across many subject areas.  According to the ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2017, UC Berkeley is ranked in the top five in 

• Automation and control
• Biotechnology
• Chemistry
• Computer science and engineering
• Earth sciences
• Ecology
• Economics
• Electrical and electronic engineering
• Energy science and engineering
• Materials science and engineering
• Nanoscience and nanotechnology
• Physics
• Sociology
• Statistics
• Transportation science and technology

These rankings, compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, compare the top 500 higher education institutions worldwide, public and private. It uses a variety of indicators of academic or research performance, including:

• Nobel Prizes and other international awards won by alumni and faculty or staff.
• Highly-cited researchers in 52 broad subject categories.
• Articles published in selected top journals and noted in major citation indexes.

U.S. News and World Reports uses 13 indicators to calculate Best Global Universities with an emphasis on academic research and overall reputation.   UC Berkeley ranks #4 in its overall ranking of global universities, and has consistently been ranked within the top 5 across many subject areas including:

• Biology and Biochemistry
• Chemistry
• Economics & Business
• Engineering
• Environment & Ecology
• Physics
• Plant & Animal Science
• Space Science