A diverse graduate student population is important to the UC Berkeley as both a state institution and a land grant school. Diverse graduate students contribute to the introduction of new ideas and approaches to research, expose all students to interaction with people of different backgrounds, and fulfill the state's objective to educate its inhabitants, a population more diverse than ever before. Of the 8,859 graduate students enrolled in the 2001-02 academic year, the following racial/ethnic groups were represented: White/Caucasian 4,352 (49%); Asian 1,335 (15%); Hispanic 491 (6%); African American/Black 260 (3%); Other 516 (6%); and international students 1,858 (21%). The undergraduate population is represented by an even more diverse student body, with diversity on the rise: Asian 9,451 (41%); White/Caucasian 7,137 (31%); Hispanic 2,175 (9%); African American/Black 871 (4%); other 2,735 (12%); and international students 769 (3%).

In addition to the student population, UC Berkeley is also well known for diversity of thought and its curriculum. The depth and breadth of the curricula reflect the variety of perspectives that is encouraged and celebrated at Cal. Where else would you find separate programs for East Asian, South East Asian, and Asian Studies or the possibility of studying Slavic, Scandinavian, or Hebrew languages? Additionally, UC Berkeley students and the Berkeley community have a long tradition of social activism that continues today and often is manifest in the public arena.