UCLA
加州大学洛杉矶- Tier 2
- Los Angeles, CA
- UC system
- Data last checked 2026-10
UCLA admits about 9% of first-year applicants. It does not consider SAT / ACT, and the GPA reference is 3.85 (UC capped weighted). International admission ignores financial need, but UC gives no need-based aid to international students. A year costs about $45,500 in-state and $84,770 out-of-state (2026-27).
Admit rate by applicant pool
At the same school, admit rates can differ a lot depending on who is applying.
Source: Fall 2025 · CDS
Flagship Majors and Admit Data
| Major | Admit rate | vs overall | One-liner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering★ Flagship | 7% | 0.71× | |
| School of Theater, Film & TV (TFT)★ Flagship | Not published | Much harder | |
| Computer Science★ Flagship | Not published | Much harder | |
| Business Economics★ Flagship | ≈ overall 9% | ≈ overall | |
| MIMG / Life Sciences★ Flagship | ≈ overall 9% | ≈ overall |
Where no official major admit rate is published, difficulty is estimated from the school's public information.
Two years CC + transfer to UCLA
UCLA 不参加 TAG。Fall 2026 转学录取率 22.2%（30,668 申 / 6,796 录，92% 来自 CCC；新生 10.8%）。录取转学生平均 GPA 3.5+ 且修完主要专业前置课；TFT 影视学院转学极难 <10%。SMC（34%）/ PCC（30%）是传统 feeder（Fall 2025 按 CC 数据；UC 官方 2026-09 核）
US applicants
- Overall admit rate
- 9%. The actual number for the domestic pool (which holds most seats) is roughly aligned with the official figure.
- Financial aid / FAFSA
- Need-blind for domestic; FAFSA aid applications don't affect admission (international admission doesn't consider financial need either, but UC offers no need-based aid to international students).
- Privates have no in-state preference
- Domestic applications don't differentiate by state, but schools care about state representation (over-concentrated areas face competitive squeeze).
- Test policy
- UC system-wide Test-Blind, SAT/ACT not considered (since 2021). Official policy ›
- Application timing
- ED/EA deadlines early November, RD January. Domestic families typically begin college visits at the end of 11th grade.
International (F-1) applicants
- International friendliness 2 / 3
- Normal international pool (most schools), admit rate 30-60% lower than domestic
- Need-blind for international
- Admission doesn't consider financial need, but no need-based aid is offered to international students
- UC international
- System-wide international admit rate 5-8% (much lower than CA in-state) with almost no aid.
Cost per year
Published cost of attendance for 2026-27 (tuition, housing, food, books and fees): about $45,500 in-state and $84,770 out-of-state.
This is the published sticker price; what a family actually pays depends on financial aid and scholarships.
Waitlist
| Cycle | Accepted a waitlist spot | Admitted from waitlist | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | 13,612 | 1,514 | 11% |
| Fall 2024 | 9,198 | 1,211 | 13% |
| Fall 2023 | 11,725 | 1,400 | 12% |
- Extra materials
- The school states it does not consider extra materials
- Confirming your spot
- Choose to join the waitlist in My Application Status by April 15 (you have to choose this yourself, and the form can't be changed after that date)
- When you'll hear
- If spots open up after May 1, students are notified as early as possible, with updates throughout the summer
- Other rules
- Materials sent separately (including recommendation letters) will not be reviewed; put any new updates in the Waitlist Option form instead
- Other rules
- You can stay on the waitlist at several UC campuses at once
Numbers are from the school's Common Data Set (section C2), checked 2026-10. They can change a lot from year to year; the school's latest release is authoritative. Official waitlist policy ›
Already on a waitlist? The Application Rescue Kit lays out the timeline and real cost of four paths: waitlist, gap year, transfer and spring admission ›Transfer
Fall transfer, Fall 2025: 28,487 applied and 6,665 were admitted (about 23%).
Requirements:UCLA gives the highest priority to students from California community colleges, then to students from other UC campuses. You must finish 60 semester units (or 90 quarter units) before transferring and enter as a junior, and entry is in the fall only. UCLA does not take part in TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee).
Are popular majors open to external transfers?
- Computer scienceLimitedUC Information Center: in fall 2025, UCLA's computer science category had 1,655 transfer applicants and 80 admits (admit rate about 4.8%), and the middle half of admits all had a 4.00 GPA.
- EngineeringLimitedUC Information Center: in fall 2025, UCLA's engineering category had 2,950 transfer applicants and 425 admits (about 14.4%); the Samueli School of Engineering requires the major's prerequisites, and the school does not list the IGETC general education pattern as "strongly recommended" for Samueli applicants.
- BusinessLimitedUCLA has no undergraduate business school; for the majors the UC Information Center groups under "business," fall 2025 saw 3,414 transfer applicants and 358 admits (about 10.5%).
UCLA · US College Application Deep Read · Chinese-American Lens
In the Chinese-American US college application pool, UCLA sits in the Elite-select private (high-pressure layer for Chinese-American families) layer. Overall admit rate is 9%, with traditional strength in Computer Science / Business / Pre-Med, and UC IC 学科大类 Engineering as the entry that Chinese-American families track most.
UCLA is part of the University of California (UC) system — test-blind (SAT/ACT ignored), evaluating UC-capped weighted GPA against a 3.85 25th-percentile floor. For international applicants, UCLA doesn't consider financial need in admission, but offers no need-based aid to international students, which means F1 applicants should plan for the full cost. CC transfer admit rate ~22%, no TAG but still a mainstream channel.
If you or a parent is evaluating whether UCLA is a reach, match, or safety in this US college application cycle, the "I have 4.0 / 1500, can I get in?" question is not answerable from public forums alone — real judgment requires layering this season's admissions policy, your high-school competitive density, within-major selectivity, and ED/EA timing into one model. At the elite-select tier, EA vs ED choice can shift admit probability by 1-2 tiers; lock the call before September. The Kaiso engine assigns UCLA to a tier based on your real profile, and every judgment is auditable.
What parents ask about UCLA
What is UCLA's undergraduate admit rate?
UCLA (加州大学洛杉矶) overall undergraduate admit rate is about 9% (UC system). SAT mid-range (25-75 percentile) Test-Blind policy, no test scores considered. GPA threshold reference 3.85 (UC capped weighted). Data last verified 2026-10.
Does UCLA require the SAT or ACT?
UC system-wide Test-Blind, SAT/ACT not considered (since 2021).
What early rounds does UCLA offer?
2026-27 cycle: no early round, regular decision only.
What are UCLA's admit rates for in-state, out-of-state and international applicants?
In-state applicants 9.6%, Out-of-state applicants 11%, International applicants 6.3%. Source: Fall 2025 · CDS.
How much does a year at UCLA cost?
Published cost of attendance for 2026-27 (tuition, housing, food, books and fees): about $45,500 in-state and $84,770 out-of-state. This is the published sticker price; what a family actually pays depends on financial aid and scholarships.
How hard is it to transfer into UCLA?
Fall transfer, Fall 2025: 28,487 applied and 6,665 were admitted (about 23%). UCLA gives the highest priority to students from California community colleges, then to students from other UC campuses. You must finish 60 semester units (or 90 quarter units) before transferring and enter as a junior, and entry is in the fall only. UCLA does not take part in TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee).
How many students get in from UCLA's waitlist?
Fall 2025: 13,612 accepted a waitlist spot and 1,514 were admitted (about 11%); Fall 2024: 9,198 accepted a waitlist spot and 1,211 were admitted (about 13%); Fall 2023: 11,725 accepted a waitlist spot and 1,400 were admitted (about 12%). These numbers can change a lot from year to year; the school's latest release is authoritative.
What are UCLA's flagship majors?
UCLA flagship majors: Engineering, School of Theater, Film & TV (TFT), Computer Science, Business Economics, MIMG / Life Sciences. v7.39 · 官方公布的专业录取率(Fall 2025)
Is UCLA friendly to international (F1) applicants?
UCLA doesn't consider financial need in admission, but offers no need-based aid to international students — F1 applicants should plan for the full cost. UC system international admit rate is about 5-8% (much lower than CA in-state 15-20%). International friendliness 2/3.
How is UCLA's community college (CC) transfer path?
UCLA's CC transfer admit rate is about 22%, does not join TAG, regular application. Suggested UC GPA during CC ≥ 3.8. UCLA 不参加 TAG。Fall 2026 转学录取率 22.2%（30,668 申 / 6,796 录，92% 来自 CCC；新生 10.8%）。录取转学生平均 GPA 3.5+ 且修完主要专业前置课；TFT 影视学院转学极难 <10%。SMC（34%）/ PCC（30%）是传统 feeder（Fall 2025 按 CC 数据；UC 官方 2026-09 核）