Getting into UCLA is harder than convincing your parents college was worth it.
In 2025, UCLA’s acceptance rate is just 9% — down from 10.7% in 2022 and 20% back in 2012.
UCLA now receives more applications than any other university in the country.
It is the most applied-to school in the United States.
- UCLA’s acceptance rate has dropped to 9% in 2025, down from 10.7% in 2022 and 20% in 2012.
- For Fall 2025, UCLA received 173,374 total applications, the most of any university in the country.
- The decrease in the acceptance rate is primarily due to the surge in the number of applicants.
- To be considered for admission at UCLA, resident applicants need a minimum GPA of 3.0, while non-resident applicants need a GPA of 3.4.
- UCLA is test-blind — SAT and ACT scores are not considered at all.
If you want to get into UCLA, you may be wondering what kind of acceptance rate this college has.
This is an important question to ask, as acceptance rates have gone down a lot, making it harder for students to be accepted into the college of their choice.
With applicant numbers going up, acceptance rates are going down.
This makes it harder than ever for students looking to get into college.
Keep reading to find out what UCLA’s acceptance rate is, along with a few key facts about getting in.
What Is the UCLA Acceptance Rate for All Students?
UCLA’s acceptance rate is now 9% as of 2025.
This is down from 10.7% in 2022 and a big drop from 20% back in 2012.
Out of 146,276 first-year applicants in Fall 2024, only about 13,000 were accepted.
This makes UCLA one of the most selective public universities in the country.
It is now more selective than schools like Berkeley, Georgetown, and Carnegie Mellon.
ENROLLMENT AND PERSISTENCE
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| First-time freshmen | 2,406 | 4,126 |
| Total undergraduates | 12,507 | 18,802 |
| Graduate (Degree-seeking, first-time) | 2,292 | 2,452 |
| Total graduate | 6,728 | 7,039 |
| Rate | 53.7% | 37.4% |
The results also show that UCLA prioritizes local applicants, as they make up the greater share of accepted applications.
About 56% of enrolled students in the Class of 2028 had an unweighted GPA of 4.0 or higher, with an average GPA of 3.93.
Curious about what happens after college? Check out our guide to average college graduate salaries.
Why Is the UCLA Acceptance Rate so Low?
Many students wonder why the acceptance rate for UCLA has become so low.
The main reason is simple: more and more students apply every year.
UCLA is not accepting fewer students — it is just getting flooded with more applications than ever.
For Fall 2025, UCLA received 173,374 total applications — the highest number in its history.
This demand is only growing, and it pushes the acceptance rate lower every year.
So acceptance rates are going down because of many things:
- Higher demand
- More applicants
- Fewer openings
Want to see what happens when students do not finish? Read about college dropout rates in the US.
What GPA Is Required for UCLA?
If you want to apply to UCLA, you need at least a 3.0 GPA as a resident.
Non-resident applicants need a GPA of at least 3.4 to be considered.
But since the acceptance rate is so low, only the strongest students get in.
The average admitted student has close to a 4.0 unweighted GPA.
UCLA applicants also cannot have any grade lower than a C on their high school transcripts.
UCLA is also fully test-blind.
This means SAT and ACT scores are not looked at during the review process at all.
Because of this, your GPA, course rigor, and personal essays carry the most weight.
UCLA ranks three things as “very important” in admissions: rigor of coursework, GPA, and application essays.
Learn more about what leads up to college admissions by reading our high school statistics overview.
Is It Harder to Get Into UCLA or Harvard?
With UCLA’s acceptance rate so low, many applicants wonder if it is now as hard as Harvard.
UCLA is a state school, so it is not really the same kind of school as Harvard.
Harvard’s acceptance rate is around 5%, which is still lower than UCLA’s 9%.
So UCLA is very hard to get into, but Harvard is still harder.
That said, UCLA is now as selective as many private universities that used to seem far out of reach.
Discover acceptance rates of universities such as Northeastern.
What Kind of Acceptance Rate Does UCLA Have?
UCLA’s acceptance rate is 9% in 2025.
This makes it one of the hardest public schools to get into in the whole country.
Since UCLA is test-blind, your GPA and essays are everything.
The transfer acceptance rate is higher, at around 22.7%, which is a path many students take if they were not admitted as freshmen.
Some majors are far more competitive than others.
Nursing has an acceptance rate of just 0.9%, while some music programs accept the majority of applicants.
Wondering what college really costs? See our breakdown of average college student spending.
UCLA Acceptance Rate by Major
Not all UCLA programs are equally hard to get into.
Your chances depend heavily on which major you apply for.
Some programs are far more competitive than others, and this is something many applicants do not realize.
Here is a look at acceptance rates by school within UCLA for 2024-2025:
| School | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|
| College of Letters and Science | 11.2% |
| Henry Samueli School of Engineering | 6.4% |
| School of Nursing | 0.9% |
| School of Theatre, Film, and Television | 4.35% |
| School of Arts and Architecture | 12.9% |
| Herb Alpert School of Music | 27.9% |
The hardest majors to get into at UCLA are Nursing (0.9%), Film and Television (1.1%), and Computer Science (4.1%).
The easiest majors include Ethnomusicology (72%), Musicology (44%), and World Arts and Cultures (31%).
If your dream is to get into UCLA but the numbers look tough, picking a less competitive major can improve your odds.
You can always switch majors once you are enrolled.
Want to know what your degree could be worth after graduation? See our guide on average college graduate salaries.
Who Actually Gets Into UCLA?
Knowing the acceptance rate is one thing.
But knowing who gets in can help you understand what UCLA is really looking for.
About 79% of enrolled UCLA students are California residents.
Only 13% are domestic students from outside California, and about 7% are international students.
The most common countries of origin for international students are China, South Korea, India, Canada, and Japan.
About 32% of UCLA’s incoming class in 2024 were first-generation college students.
Around 30% of the Class of 2028 came from underrepresented backgrounds, and roughly one third received Pell Grants.
UCLA also values students who are involved in their communities.
Factors rated as “important” by UCLA admissions include talent, character, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and work experience.
Every application is read twice in full by trained admissions staff.
This means your personal essays really do matter.
UCLA also has 25 Division I sports teams, and recruited athletes have a meaningful advantage in the process.
The yield rate at UCLA is 50% — meaning half of all admitted students choose to enroll, one of the highest rates among public universities.
Want to understand more about the path students take before college? Check out our high school statistics page.
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