The University of California, Berkeley (also known as the University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley University) is the top public research university in the United States and the world's top engineering and technology It is also one of the world's leading engineering and technology institutions. Founded in 1868, it is one of the first universities in California and is now located in Berkeley, near San Francisco. It is now located in Berkeley, near San Francisco, and is tied for 20th place in the 2014 U.S. university rankings.