UCLA: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college.

UCLA is one of the most selective public universities in the country with an acceptance rate of 12.4%. If you're considering this prestigious university, here you'll find the admissions statistics you should know such as the average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Why UCLA?

• Location: Los Angeles, California
• Campus Features: UCLA's attractive 419-acre campus in Los Angeles' Westwood Village occupies prime real estate just 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean.
• Student/Faculty Ratio: 18:1
• Athletics: The UCLA Bruins compete in the NCAA Division I Pacific-12 Conference (Pac-12).
• Highlights: With over 125 undergraduate majors and 150 graduate degree programs, UCLA's academic breadth is impressive. Strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned the university a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. It should be no surprise that UCLA ranks among the best public universities.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, UCLA had an acceptance rate of 12.4%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 12 students were admitted, making UCLA's admissions process highly competitive.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to UCLA. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

UCLA, which accepts fewer than 15% of applicants, has a highly competitive admissions pool with above-average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs. However, UCLA, like all of the University of California schools, has holistic admissions and is test-optional, so the admissions officers are evaluating students on more than numerical data. As part of the application, students are required to write four short personal insight essays. Since UCLA is a part of the University of California system, students can easily apply to multiple schools in that system with one application. Students who show special talent or have a compelling story to tell will often get a close look even if their grades and test scores are a bit below the norm. Impressive extracurricular activities and strong essays are all important parts of a successful application to UCLA.

Keep in mind that California residents who apply must have a GPA of 3.0 or better with no grade lower than a C in 15 college preparatory "a-g" courses. For non-residents, your GPA must be 3.4 or better. Local students from participating high schools may also qualify if they are in the top 9% of their class.

The university is also looking for students who will contribute to the campus community in meaningful ways, and who show the potential to make a positive impact on the world after graduation. UCLA looks to enroll a diverse student body, and they will look at personal qualities such as leadership ability, creativity, and character as well as an applicant's achievement in their school, community, and/or workplace. Also, note that some programs at UCLA are more competitive than others.

Hidden beneath the blue and green in the graph is a lot of red (rejected students). This tells us that many applicants with high GPAs and test scores get rejected from UCLA. Note also that a number of students were accepted with test scores and grades below the norm. In general, when a school admits such a low percentage of its applicants, you'd be wise to consider it a reach school even if your grades and test scores are on target for admission.