What are the most challenging courses at University of California, Berkeley?

Based on student ratings aggregated from across the web, the most challenging courses at University of California, Berkeley include POLSCI1 (Introduction to American Politics), FILM20 (Film and Media Theory), PHYS89. Courses with the highest reported challenge levels. See the full ranked list above and open any course for the detailed breakdown.

How are the most challenging courses at UC Berkeley determined?

Each course is scored on difficulty, a 0–100 measure built from student ratings and sentiment aggregated across the web, and ranked accordingly. Courses with the highest reported challenge levels. Students can also add their own reviews on each course page.

Is this ranking based on real student feedback?

Yes. The ratings aggregate real student feedback, so each score reflects many data points rather than one opinion. We show how many ratings back each course so you can gauge confidence, and written student reviews add firsthand detail on top.

Hardest Classes at UC Berkeley: Most Challenging Courses

The hardest classes at University of California, Berkeley, ranked by student-reported difficulty. Plan your schedule around the most challenging courses before registration.

Planning Spring 2027? Save classes to your plan.

Tap + on a class to add it.

Most Challenging Courses

Top 25 · courses with the highest reported challenge levels

1
POLSCI1Introduction to American PoliticsPolitical Science
88/100 difficulty1.6 out of 5 stars1.6· 121 ratings
88/100
2
FILM20Film and Media TheoryFilm
86/100 difficulty1.9 out of 5 stars1.9· 28 ratings
86/100
3
PHYS89Physics
86/100 difficulty1.6 out of 5 stars1.6· 16 ratings
86/100
4
MATH10AMethods of Mathematics: Calculus, Statistics, and CombinatoricsMathematics
85/100 difficulty1.6 out of 5 stars1.6· 110 ratings
85/100
5
EECS16BElectrical Engineering
85/100 difficulty1.9 out of 5 stars1.9· 64 ratings
85/100
6
CS70Computer Science
83/100 difficulty2.8 out of 5 stars2.8· 119 ratings
83/100
7
PHYSICS5BIntroductory Electromagnetism, Waves, and OpticsPhysics
82/100 difficulty4.0 out of 5 stars4.0· 17 ratings
82/100
8
STAT134Concepts of ProbabilityStatistics
81/100 difficulty2.5 out of 5 stars2.5· 151 ratings
81/100
9
MATH52Calculus IIMathematics
81/100 difficulty2.4 out of 5 stars2.4· 92 ratings
81/100
10
MATH10BMethods of Mathematics: Calculus, Statistics, and CombinatoricsMathematics
81/100 difficulty1.6 out of 5 stars1.6· 65 ratings
81/100
11
UGBA101AMicroeconomic Analysis for Business DecisionsBusiness Administration
81/100 difficulty2.1 out of 5 stars2.1· 48 ratings
81/100
12
ECON101AMicroeconomics (Quantitative)Economics
81/100 difficulty2.6 out of 5 stars2.6· 35 ratings
81/100
13
MCB133LBiology
81/100 difficulty1.0 out of 5 stars1.0· 9 ratings
81/100
14
UGBA101BMacroeconomic Analysis for Business DecisionsBusiness Administration
80/100 difficulty1.6 out of 5 stars1.6· 87 ratings
80/100
15
ECON136Financial EconomicsEconomics
80/100 difficulty2.0 out of 5 stars2.0· 59 ratings
80/100
16
DS100Geography
80/100 difficulty3.8 out of 5 stars3.8· 21 ratings
80/100
17
EPS109Computer Simulations with Jupyter NotebooksAstronomy
79/100 difficulty2.2 out of 5 stars2.2· 18 ratings
79/100
18
EEP152Economics
79/100 difficulty3.0 out of 5 stars3.0· 14 ratings
79/100
19
MATH110Abstract Linear AlgebraMathematics
78/100 difficulty2.9 out of 5 stars2.9· 167 ratings
78/100
20
BIO1ALBiology
78/100 difficulty3.4 out of 5 stars3.4· 119 ratings
78/100
21
UGBA103Introduction to FinanceBusiness Administration
78/100 difficulty3.4 out of 5 stars3.4· 110 ratings
78/100
22
PHYSICS5AIntroductory Mechanics and RelativityPhysics
78/100 difficulty3.2 out of 5 stars3.2· 38 ratings
78/100
23
STAT88Probability and Mathematical Statistics in Data ScienceStatistics
78/100 difficulty1.8 out of 5 stars1.8· 27 ratings
78/100
24
E40Nuclear Engineering
78/100 difficulty1.6 out of 5 stars1.6· 12 ratings
78/100
25
MATH104Introduction to AnalysisMathematics
77/100 difficulty3.5 out of 5 stars3.5· 74 ratings
77/100

Give back

Took a class at UC Berkeley? Your review is what the next student reads.

Anonymous, about two minutes, no account.

Find your class

Most Challenging Courses