BERKELEY, Calif. — At the University of California, Berkeley, nearly half of the students receiving disability accommodations are registered for psychological or emotional conditions, according to the university's own data. This trend, which places emotional disabilities ahead of other categories like attention deficit disorders, underscores a growing reliance on such supports amid rising mental health challenges on college campuses nationwide.
The figures come from UC Berkeley's Disabled Students' Program (DSP), which provides accommodations to ensure equal access under federal law. In the fall 2025 semester, 2,528 out of 5,959 total students enrolled in the program — about 42% — were categorized under "psychological/emotional" disabilities, making it the largest group by far.
Students with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) followed as the second-largest category, though exact numbers for that group were not specified in the university's published data. Chronic health conditions and learning disabilities rounded out the subsequent rankings. The overall enrollment in DSP has been climbing steadily since 2020, mirroring a broader surge in disability accommodations at elite institutions across the United States.
To qualify for these services, students must submit documentation from a medical or licensed professional verifying their diagnosed condition, according to UC Berkeley officials. Accommodations are then determined on an individualized basis, with the goal of providing equitable academic opportunities as mandated by laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Common supports offered through programs like DSP include extended time on exams, testing in reduced-distraction environments, access to assistive technology, and flexibility with deadlines or attendance policies. These measures are not unique to Berkeley; similar accommodations are available at other top schools such as Harvard, Stanford, Brown, and Princeton.
The data was recently spotlighted in a report by The College Fix, a campus watchdog organization, which analyzed UC Berkeley's DSP statistics. "Data from UC Berkeley’s Disabled Students’ Program (DSP) show that students registered with psychological or emotional disabilities made up the largest share of participants in the program, accounting for about 42% of students receiving accommodations," the report noted, drawing from the university's fall 2025 figures.
This increase in accommodations reflects national patterns in higher education. Recent reporting by The Atlantic has highlighted how the number of students qualifying for such supports has more than tripled at some elite universities over the past decade. Factors cited include rising diagnoses of conditions like ADHD, anxiety, and depression, alongside shifts in how institutions evaluate requests.
Legal and regulatory changes have played a significant role in this evolution. In 2008, Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, which expanded the definition of disability and instructed that eligibility be interpreted more broadly. This legislation aimed to ensure that more individuals with impairments could access protections and accommodations without overly narrow criteria.
Following that, the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) provided guidance to colleges, encouraging them to give greater emphasis to students' self-reported impacts of their conditions on academic functioning, rather than depending solely on medical documentation. "The report also noted that the legal and regulatory framework has evolved," as described in coverage by The College Fix, which tied these changes to the observed uptick in accommodations.
At UC Berkeley, the Disabled Students' Program serves a diverse array of needs, but the predominance of psychological and emotional categories has sparked discussions about mental health resources on campus. While the university has not issued a formal statement on the specific data, its website emphasizes that DSP is committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all students with disabilities.
Fox News Digital reached out to UC Berkeley for comment on the report but did not immediately receive a response. In the absence of direct university commentary, the data stands as published, offering a snapshot of how one of the nation's premier public universities is addressing student needs in an era of heightened awareness around mental health.
Beyond Berkeley, the trend extends to other selective institutions. Reports indicate that accommodations for emotional and psychological conditions are increasingly common, potentially influenced by greater societal recognition of mental health issues post-pandemic. For instance, the "Nation’s Report Card" has shown alarming declines in science, math, and reading scores among students, which some educators link to broader disruptions, including mental health struggles.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, in a recent appearance on Fox News' 'The Sunday Briefing,' discussed related educational challenges, including student performance metrics and the role of bureaucracy in schools. While not directly addressing Berkeley's data, her comments highlighted ongoing debates about how to best support students amid declining academic outcomes.
The implications of these accommodation trends are multifaceted. On one hand, they represent progress in accessibility and stigma reduction for mental health conditions. On the other, they raise questions about resource allocation and the potential for varying interpretations of disability criteria across campuses.
Looking ahead, as universities continue to adapt to these shifts, organizations like AHEAD are likely to influence future policies. For students at UC Berkeley and beyond, the expansion of DSP-like programs could mean more tailored support, but it also underscores the need for comprehensive mental health services to address root causes rather than just accommodations.
In the end, the data from fall 2025 paints a picture of a university grappling with the realities of modern student life, where emotional well-being is as critical as academic rigor. As enrollment in such programs grows, so too does the conversation about how higher education can balance equity with excellence.