diff --git a/docs/data/base/components/collapsible/collapsible.md b/docs/data/base/components/collapsible/collapsible.md
index 655924b569..50f843d7d5 100644
--- a/docs/data/base/components/collapsible/collapsible.md
+++ b/docs/data/base/components/collapsible/collapsible.md
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ import * as Collapsible from '@base_ui/react/Collapsible';
 
 ## Anatomy
 
-- `<Collapsible.Root />` is a top-level component that facilitates communication between other components. It does not render to the DOM.
+- `<Collapsible.Root />` is a top-level component that facilitates communication between other components. It does not render to the DOM by default.
 - `<Collapsible.Trigger />` is the trigger element, a `<button>` by default, that toggles the open/closed state of the content
 - `<Collapsible.Content />` is component that contains the Collapsible's content
 
@@ -207,14 +207,14 @@ function App() {
 
 ## Overriding default components
 
-Use the `render` prop to override the rendered elements with your own components.
+Use the `render` prop to override the rendered elements with your own components. The `Collapsible.Root` component does not render an element to the DOM by default, but can do so with the render prop:
 
 ```jsx
 // Element shorthand
-<Collapsible.Content render={<MyCollapsibleContent />} />
+<Collapsible.Root render={<MyCollapsibleRoot />} />
 ```
 
 ```jsx
 // Function
-<Collapsible.Content render={(props) => <MyCollapsibleContent {...props} />} />
+<Collapsible.Root render={(props) => <MyCollapsibleRoot {...props} />} />
 ```
diff --git a/docs/pages/base-ui/api/collapsible-root.json b/docs/pages/base-ui/api/collapsible-root.json
index 018293df3c..57be702ca3 100644
--- a/docs/pages/base-ui/api/collapsible-root.json
+++ b/docs/pages/base-ui/api/collapsible-root.json
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 {
   "props": {
     "animated": { "type": { "name": "bool" }, "default": "true" },
+    "className": { "type": { "name": "union", "description": "func<br>&#124;&nbsp;string" } },
     "defaultOpen": { "type": { "name": "bool" }, "default": "true" },
     "disabled": { "type": { "name": "bool" }, "default": "false" },
     "onOpenChange": { "type": { "name": "func" } },
-    "open": { "type": { "name": "bool" } }
+    "open": { "type": { "name": "bool" } },
+    "render": { "type": { "name": "union", "description": "element<br>&#124;&nbsp;func" } }
   },
   "name": "CollapsibleRoot",
   "imports": [
@@ -12,8 +14,9 @@
   ],
   "classes": [],
   "spread": true,
-  "themeDefaultProps": null,
+  "themeDefaultProps": true,
   "muiName": "CollapsibleRoot",
+  "forwardsRefTo": "HTMLDivElement",
   "filename": "/packages/mui-base/src/Collapsible/Root/CollapsibleRoot.tsx",
   "inheritance": null,
   "demos": "<ul><li><a href=\"/base-ui/react-collapsible/\">Collapsible</a></li></ul>",
diff --git a/docs/pages/experiments/collapsible.tsx b/docs/pages/experiments/collapsible.tsx
index cd2f5fff15..b3c47630c7 100644
--- a/docs/pages/experiments/collapsible.tsx
+++ b/docs/pages/experiments/collapsible.tsx
@@ -43,6 +43,23 @@ export default function CollapsibleDemo() {
           </Collapsible.Content>
         </Collapsible.Root>
       </div>
+
+      <Collapsible.Root render="span" className="MyCollapsible-root">
+        <Collapsible.Trigger className="MyCollapsible-trigger">
+          <span className="icon">
+            <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 80 80" focusable="false">
+              <path d="M70.3 13.8L40 66.3 9.7 13.8z" />
+            </svg>
+          </span>
+          Trigger (root renders a span + CSS transition)
+        </Collapsible.Trigger>
+        <Collapsible.Content className="MyCollapsible-content csstransition">
+          <p>This is the collapsed content</p>
+          <p>This component is animated with CSS transitions</p>
+          <p>demo: https://codepen.io/aardrian/pen/QWjBNQG</p>
+          <p>https://adrianroselli.com/2020/05/disclosure-widgets.html</p>
+        </Collapsible.Content>
+      </Collapsible.Root>
       <Styles />
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/docs/translations/api-docs/collapsible-root/collapsible-root.json b/docs/translations/api-docs/collapsible-root/collapsible-root.json
index b887fca0ba..b45c0ae2b6 100644
--- a/docs/translations/api-docs/collapsible-root/collapsible-root.json
+++ b/docs/translations/api-docs/collapsible-root/collapsible-root.json
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
     "animated": {
       "description": "If <code>true</code>, the component supports CSS/JS-based animations and transitions."
     },
+    "className": {
+      "description": "Class names applied to the element or a function that returns them based on the component&#39;s state."
+    },
     "defaultOpen": {
       "description": "If <code>true</code>, the Collapsible is initially open. This is the uncontrolled counterpart of <code>open</code>."
     },
@@ -11,7 +14,8 @@
     "onOpenChange": { "description": "Callback fired when the Collapsible is opened or closed." },
     "open": {
       "description": "If <code>true</code>, the Collapsible is initially open. This is the controlled counterpart of <code>defaultOpen</code>."
-    }
+    },
+    "render": { "description": "A function to customize rendering of the component." }
   },
   "classDescriptions": {}
 }
diff --git a/packages/mui-base/src/Collapsible/Root/CollapsibleRoot.test.tsx b/packages/mui-base/src/Collapsible/Root/CollapsibleRoot.test.tsx
index d3b8ebe7ba..d14d5365e8 100644
--- a/packages/mui-base/src/Collapsible/Root/CollapsibleRoot.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/mui-base/src/Collapsible/Root/CollapsibleRoot.test.tsx
@@ -3,10 +3,19 @@ import { expect } from 'chai';
 import { spy } from 'sinon';
 import { createRenderer, act } from '@mui/internal-test-utils';
 import * as Collapsible from '@base_ui/react/Collapsible';
+import { describeConformance } from '../../../test/describeConformance';
 
 describe('<Collapsible.Root />', () => {
   const { render } = createRenderer();
 
+  // `render` is explicitly specified here because Collapsible.Root does not
+  // render an element to the DOM by default and so the conformance tests would be unapplicable
+  describeConformance(<Collapsible.Root render={<div />} />, () => ({
+    inheritComponent: 'div',
+    render,
+    refInstanceof: window.HTMLDivElement,
+  }));
+
   describe('ARIA attributes', () => {
     it('sets ARIA attributes', async () => {
       const { getByTestId, getByRole } = await render(
diff --git a/packages/mui-base/src/Collapsible/Root/CollapsibleRoot.tsx b/packages/mui-base/src/Collapsible/Root/CollapsibleRoot.tsx
index 745a645c1a..5ab8e07a40 100644
--- a/packages/mui-base/src/Collapsible/Root/CollapsibleRoot.tsx
+++ b/packages/mui-base/src/Collapsible/Root/CollapsibleRoot.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,27 @@
 'use client';
 import * as React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import { BaseUIComponentProps } from '../../utils/types';
+import { useComponentRenderer } from '../../utils/useComponentRenderer';
 import { useCollapsibleRoot } from './useCollapsibleRoot';
 import { CollapsibleContext } from './CollapsibleContext';
+import { collapsibleStyleHookMapping } from './styleHooks';
 
-export function CollapsibleRoot(props: CollapsibleRoot.Props) {
-  const { animated, open, defaultOpen, onOpenChange, disabled, children } = props;
+const CollapsibleRoot = React.forwardRef(function CollapsibleRoot(
+  props: CollapsibleRoot.Props,
+  forwardedRef: React.ForwardedRef<HTMLDivElement>,
+) {
+  const {
+    animated,
+    children,
+    className,
+    defaultOpen,
+    disabled,
+    onOpenChange,
+    open,
+    render: renderProp,
+    ...otherProps
+  } = props;
 
   const collapsible = useCollapsibleRoot({
     animated,
@@ -15,20 +31,46 @@ export function CollapsibleRoot(props: CollapsibleRoot.Props) {
     disabled,
   });
 
+  const ownerState: CollapsibleRoot.OwnerState = React.useMemo(
+    () => ({
+      open: collapsible.open,
+      disabled: collapsible.disabled,
+      transitionStatus: collapsible.transitionStatus,
+    }),
+    [collapsible.open, collapsible.disabled, collapsible.transitionStatus],
+  );
+
   const contextValue: CollapsibleRoot.Context = React.useMemo(
     () => ({
       ...collapsible,
-      ownerState: {
-        open: collapsible.open,
-        disabled: collapsible.disabled,
-        transitionStatus: collapsible.transitionStatus,
-      },
+      ownerState,
     }),
-    [collapsible],
+    [collapsible, ownerState],
   );
 
-  return <CollapsibleContext.Provider value={contextValue}>{children}</CollapsibleContext.Provider>;
-}
+  const { renderElement } = useComponentRenderer({
+    render: renderProp ?? 'div',
+    className,
+    ownerState,
+    ref: forwardedRef,
+    extraProps: { children, ...otherProps },
+    customStyleHookMapping: collapsibleStyleHookMapping,
+  });
+
+  if (!renderProp) {
+    return (
+      <CollapsibleContext.Provider value={contextValue}>{children}</CollapsibleContext.Provider>
+    );
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <CollapsibleContext.Provider value={contextValue}>
+      {renderElement()}
+    </CollapsibleContext.Provider>
+  );
+});
+
+export { CollapsibleRoot };
 
 export namespace CollapsibleRoot {
   export interface Context extends useCollapsibleRoot.ReturnValue {
@@ -38,9 +80,9 @@ export namespace CollapsibleRoot {
   export interface OwnerState
     extends Pick<useCollapsibleRoot.ReturnValue, 'open' | 'disabled' | 'transitionStatus'> {}
 
-  export interface Props extends useCollapsibleRoot.Parameters {
-    children: React.ReactNode;
-  }
+  export interface Props
+    extends useCollapsibleRoot.Parameters,
+      BaseUIComponentProps<any, OwnerState> {}
 }
 
 CollapsibleRoot.propTypes /* remove-proptypes */ = {
@@ -54,9 +96,9 @@ CollapsibleRoot.propTypes /* remove-proptypes */ = {
    */
   animated: PropTypes.bool,
   /**
-   * @ignore
+   * Class names applied to the element or a function that returns them based on the component's state.
    */
-  children: PropTypes.node,
+  className: PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.func, PropTypes.string]),
   /**
    * If `true`, the Collapsible is initially open.
    * This is the uncontrolled counterpart of `open`.
@@ -77,4 +119,8 @@ CollapsibleRoot.propTypes /* remove-proptypes */ = {
    * This is the controlled counterpart of `defaultOpen`.
    */
   open: PropTypes.bool,
+  /**
+   * A function to customize rendering of the component.
+   */
+  render: PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.element, PropTypes.func]),
 } as any;
diff --git a/packages/mui-base/src/Collapsible/Root/styleHooks.ts b/packages/mui-base/src/Collapsible/Root/styleHooks.ts
index ba0a08eac1..bf81e88687 100644
--- a/packages/mui-base/src/Collapsible/Root/styleHooks.ts
+++ b/packages/mui-base/src/Collapsible/Root/styleHooks.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import type { CustomStyleHookMapping } from '../../utils/getStyleHookProps';
-import { CollapsibleRoot } from './CollapsibleRoot';
+import type { CollapsibleRoot } from './CollapsibleRoot';
 
 export const collapsibleStyleHookMapping: CustomStyleHookMapping<CollapsibleRoot.OwnerState> = {
   open: (value) => {