UCLA Acceptance Rate and Admission Requirements 2024

UCLA Acceptance Rate is 11% in 2023. UCLA is the most applied-to university in the United States of America. For Fall 2021, the university received a total of 168,135 applications—139,490 from prospective freshmen and 28,645 from students hoping to transfer in their junior year. 

The College of Letters and Science receives the most application (94,000) followed by the Henry Samueli School of Engineering with 31,373 applications.

UCLA acceptance rate history

The acceptance rate trend for the University of California-Los Angeles has been on a downward trend over the past few years.

Below is a table representing the history of UCLA acceptance rate over the years.

UCLA admission requirements

UCLA acceptance rate is 11%, meaning it is difficult to get accepted into the university. UCLA transfer acceptance rate is 19%. When reviewing an application, UCLA implements a holistic review process, which includes looking at some of the following criteria:

• Grades and GPA of 4.0.
• Achievement in high school or college coursework
• Personal qualities
• Likely contributions to the intellectual and cultural vitality of our campus
• Achievement in academic enrichment programs
• Other achievements in any field of intellectual or creative endeavor, including the performing arts, athletics, community service, etc.
• You must complete 15 A-G courses with at least 11 courses finished prior to the beginning of your last year of high school. To be competitive in the UCLA admission process, applicants should present an academic profile much stronger than any minimum UC admission requirements. See below for a listing of the A-G requirements:
  • 2 years of history/social science
  • 4 years of college-preparatory English
  • 3 years of mathematics (4 years recommended)
  • 2 years of laboratory science (3 years recommended)
  • 2 years of a language other than English (3 years recommended)
  • 1 year of visual and performing arts (if available)
  • 1 year of college-preparatory elective
• Keep in mind that there is no single academic path that UCLA expect all students to follow. However, competitive applicants earn high marks in the most rigorous curriculum available to them.
• Each application for admission is reviewed within the context of courses available to that student. If a particular required subject is not available, UCLA will consider your application without it.
• UCLA will not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarship purposes through fall 2024.
• If you choose to submit test scores as part of your application, they may be used to determine your eligibility for the California statewide admissions guarantee, as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum requirements for eligibility or for course placement after you enroll.
• When you apply to UCLA as a transfer student, you must apply to a specific major. Every major has preparatory requirements for transfer students. Transfer admission is dependent on the successful completion of this coursework along with a competitive GPA. Transfer students must complete their major preparation requirements by the end of spring prior to transfer.
• Details regarding UC’s testing policy are provided on the UC admission website for future application terms beyond 2022.

About UCLA 

The University of California, Los Angeles is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA’s academic roots were established in 1882 as a teachers’ college then known as the southern branch of the California State Normal School.

Located by the Pacific Coast in Los Angeles, UCLA has over 40,000 students enrolled in a degree and graduate studies. The university prides itself on a vibrant student body and alumni network that is active in communities around the world.

With 15 Nobel Laureates, 15 MacArthur Fellows, 119 NCAA championships, and more Olympic medals than most nations, UCLA has become a household name synonymous with academic and athletic excellence.

UCLA is the No. 1 public university, and it is ranked 20th among all national universities in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings.

See also: UCLA Academic Calendar and Important Dates and Deadlines.

General information