Understanding UCLA Acceptance Rates: A Comprehensive Overview

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) stands as one of the most prestigious and sought-after universities in the United States. Founded in 1919, this public institution is not only ranked among the top 20 national universities but also holds the distinction of being a top public school. With a sprawling 419-acre campus and a large undergraduate enrollment of 33,471 students as of fall 2024, UCLA attracts a diverse pool of applicants from across the globe. However, its desirability translates into a highly competitive admissions landscape, making it crucial for prospective students and their families to understand the nuances of UCLA's acceptance rates.

Overall Competitiveness and Acceptance Rate Trends

UCLA's consistent popularity has led to a significant decrease in its acceptance rate over the years. As the most applied-to university in the country, UCLA has witnessed its acceptance rate plummet from 28.96% for the Class of 2004 to around 9% in recent years. In fact, for Fall 2025, UCLA received a staggering 173,374 applications, comprising 145,086 from prospective freshmen and 28,288 from transfer students. This intense competition underscores the importance of a well-crafted application strategy for anyone hoping to gain admission to UCLA.

UCLA remains highly competitive with an overall acceptance rate holding steady at 9% in 2025. UCLA’s acceptance rate for 2025 hovers around 9%, the same as the year before.

Acceptance Rates for First-Year Students

The UCLA Undergraduate Admission webpage provides specific details regarding acceptance rates for first-year students. For the fall 2024 admission cycle, the first-year undergraduate student acceptance rate at UCLA was 9%. This figure is particularly noteworthy considering the sheer volume of applications received. According to the UCLA Undergraduate Admission first-year webpage notes that there were 146,276 applications submitted by first-year students. UCLA received more than 146,000 first-year applications for fall 2024 admission and admitted a little more than 13,000 students, amounting to an overall acceptance rate of 8.97%.

Factors Considered in First-Year Admissions

When reviewing first-year applicants, UCLA considers a wide variety of factors, some more easily quantifiable than others. The primary academic factors include GPA, calculated from courses completed in grades 10 and 11. The fully weighted GPA includes an extra grade point for all UC-approved honors courses (AP, IB, school-based honors, and transferable college courses) in which a grade of C or higher is earned, with a maximum value of 5.00. The unweighted GPA does not include any extra grade points for honors courses, with a maximum value of 4.00.

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It’s also important to understand in-state versus out-of-state acceptance rates. The UCs are known to prioritize California residents over out-of-state or international students. California students will be pleased to know that there has been a shift in institutional priorities this year following recent pressures set out by the White House. The UCs admitted a record-breaking 100,947 first-year California students, the largest in their history, marking a more than 7% increase from 2024.

Note that the evaluation of applicants takes into consideration the courses and educational opportunities available at their specific high school. About 56% of all enrolled applicants for the class of 2028 had an unweighted GPA of 4.0 or above.

International Students

According to the UCLA Undergraduate Admission webpage on International Applicants, accepted international students who study at UCLA are from nearly 90 countries in total.

Acceptance Rates for Transfer Students

For students who choose to begin their college journey at another institution, transferring to UCLA can be an attractive option. The UCLA Undergraduate Admissions transfer webpage provides data on transfer acceptance rates. Of the 27,177 transfer applicants who applied for fall 2024, 23% were admitted to UCLA. UCLA’s transfer acceptance rate is 22.7% in 2025, accepting 6,403 of the 28,266 who applied.

Although transferring to UCLA offers a higher acceptance rate and is often the more appealing path for students, the admissions priorities are similar to those for first-year applicants-in-state California residents come first.

Strategies for Improving Your Chances of Admission

Given UCLA’s competitive admissions landscape, prospective students need to develop a strategic approach to maximize their chances of acceptance.

Academic Excellence

The most successful UCLA applicants “go beyond minimum requirements and seek to challenge themselves to grow both in and outside of the classroom.”

Compelling Personal Statements

Like all schools in the University of California system, UCLA is test blind. The application includes personal insight questions, designed to encourage students to reflect on learning experiences and future ambitions. In order to stand out for the right reasons, students must carefully follow application guidelines, write compelling UCLA personal statements in response to the personal insight questions

Understanding Waitlist Dynamics

As a highly desirable institution, UCLA frequently places applicants on a waitlist. To make the most of the situation, applicants should keep in mind that moving off the waitlist comes down to a variety of factors, including enrollment figures and institutional needs. It’s also worth noting that at popular schools like UCLA, the waitlist admission rates are low.

Holistic Review

When we review first-year applicants we look at a wide variety of factors.

The Impact of External Factors: A Look at Recent Trends

External events and institutional priorities can influence UCLA's acceptance rates. For example, many colleges, including UCLA, found themselves in a unique situation during COVID. What did this lead to? An uptick in applications received and an overall interest in UCLA. What students did not anticipate was that although UCLA was becoming increasingly more popular, it still only had a limited number of students it could admit in a year. As we can see, there has been a similar downward trend in out-of-state metrics as general metrics for UCLA.

Additional Information About UCLA

University of California, Los Angeles is a public institution that was founded in 1919. In the 2026 edition of Best Colleges, University of California, Los Angeles is ranked No. #17 in National Universities. It's also ranked No. #2 in Top Public Schools. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 33,471 (fall 2024), and the campus size is 419 acres. The student-faculty ratio at University of California, Los Angeles is 20:1. University of California, Los Angeles has a test-blind admissions policy. The school's in-state tuition and fees are $14,824; out-of-state tuition and fees are $48,674. Forty-six percent of first-year students receive need-based financial aid, and the average net price for federal loan recipients is $15,637. The four-year graduation rate is 85%. Six years after graduation, the median salary for graduates is $59,063.

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