University of California-Los Angeles: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Los Angeles, California · Public · Most selective · CDS 2025-2026
University of California-Los Angeles is a public university in Los Angeles, California that admits about 9% of applicants, making it a most selective school. The average family pays about $14,013 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Economics, Sociology and Political Science and Government, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 93% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 14.4 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
University of California-Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California and one of the most selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of California-Los Angeles admits fewer than 10% of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 9%. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $14,013 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of California-Los Angeles is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What parents should know about University of California-Los Angeles right now
UCLA continues to be the most-applied-to four-year university in the United States. For fall 2025, UCLA received 145,085 first-year applications, admitted 13,659 students for a 9 percent admit rate, and enrolled 6,553 freshmen, with admitted students posting a median weighted GPA of 4.61 and an unweighted 4.00. Admit rates vary sharply by school, ranging from about 11 percent in the College of Letters and Science down to 6.8 percent for Samueli Engineering, 4.3 percent for Theater, Film and Television, and roughly 0.5 percent for Nursing, so families should pay close attention to the school or major their student selects. UCLA is need-blind for domestic applicants and reports that 78 percent of first-years receive financial aid, with 26 percent identifying as first-generation college students. Distinctive academic strengths include a clinical psychology program ranked first nationally, top-ranked fine arts, and the largest pipeline of undergraduate applicants to U.S. medical schools of any American university. Research expenditures totaled $1.72 billion in 2024. Like most University of California campuses, UCLA is test-blind, so SAT and ACT scores will not be reviewed. The 2024 spring protests near Royce Hall and a $6.13 million 2025 settlement related to those events are recent developments parents may see in the news.
What GPA does my child need for University of California-Los Angeles?
Successful applicants to University of California-Los Angeles typically present unweighted GPAs at or near 4.0 with the most rigorous course load their school offers, including multiple AP, IB, or dual-enrollment courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does University of California-Los Angeles weight in admissions?
University of California-Los Angeles reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Application essay
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • First generation status
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Class rank
- • Standardized test scores
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores University of California-Los Angeles typically admits
Many applicants to schools in this tier submit test scores, though the policy varies by year — check the latest test-optional status before deciding.
- • Test-blind: University of California-Los Angeles does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if submitted.
- • Policy detail: Not considered
How much does University of California-Los Angeles actually cost?
Published tuition is $13,747 for in-state students and $44,524 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $17,148 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $14,013 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 27% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | — |
| Room and board | — |
| Average net price (after aid) | $14,013 |
| Application fee | $70 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University of California-Los Angeles
Will my child graduate from University of California-Los Angeles?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at University of California-Los Angeles
The most popular undergraduate programs at University of California-Los Angeles, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Economics, Sociology and Political Science and Government. Across all programs, University of California-Los Angeles confers roughly 4,372 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Economics program report a median income of about $100,784 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | 861 | $100,784 |
| Sociology | 696 | $64,677 |
| Political Science and Government | 675 | $75,578 |
| Psychology, General | 648 | $65,954 |
| Biology, General | 413 | $75,609 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 383 | $78,384 |
| Computer Science | 349 | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 347 | $95,647 |
Is University of California-Los Angeles safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), University of California-Los Angeles disclosed 481 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 14.4 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 51 violent offenses and 118 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at University of California-Los Angeles?
About 42% of undergraduates at University of California-Los Angeles live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in California parents ask about
- Stanford University4% acceptance
- University of California-Berkeley12% acceptance
- University of Southern California10% acceptance
- University of California-Davis42% acceptance
- University of California-Irvine26% acceptance
- University of California-San Diego25% acceptance
- University of California-Santa Barbara63% acceptance
- University of California-Santa Cruz28% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University of California-Los Angeles
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of California-Los Angeles recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about University of California-Los Angeles
What GPA do I need for University of California-Los Angeles?
Successful applicants to University of California-Los Angeles typically present unweighted GPAs at or near 4.0 with the most rigorous course load their school offers, including multiple AP, IB, or dual-enrollment courses.
What SAT or ACT score does University of California-Los Angeles typically admit?
University of California-Los Angeles does not publish standardized test ranges in the most recent reporting cycle. Test-optional policies have made scores less universally required, but submitting strong scores still helps when available.
How much does University of California-Los Angeles actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of California-Los Angeles after grants and scholarships is $14,013 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is University of California-Los Angeles realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, University of California-Los Angeles is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at University of California-Los Angeles?
University of California-Los Angeles accepts about 9% of applicants out of roughly 145,086 who apply each year. That makes it a most selective school.
Is University of California-Los Angeles test-optional?
University of California-Los Angeles is test-blind: it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if you submit them.
What is the graduation rate at University of California-Los Angeles?
About 93% of students at University of California-Los Angeles graduate within six years. 97% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does University of California-Los Angeles look for in applicants?
University of California-Los Angeles rates course rigor, GPA and the application essay as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is University of California-Los Angeles a public or private school, and where is it located?
University of California-Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California.
What are the most popular majors at University of California-Los Angeles?
The largest undergraduate majors at University of California-Los Angeles by annual graduates are Economics, Sociology and Political Science and Government. The school awards about 4,372 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is University of California-Los Angeles safe? What is its campus crime rate?
University of California-Los Angeles reported 481 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 14.4 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at University of California-Los Angeles?
At University of California-Los Angeles, 42% of undergraduates live on campus, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by University of California-Los Angeles, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.