Los Angeles, CA · Public · 33,475 undergraduates · urban
University of California-Los Angeles
Extremely selective
UCLA is the public research university where selective academics, major college sports, and Los Angeles meet on one compact Westwood campus. The scale creates extraordinary choice but also competition for courses, housing, and attention. Students who act early can connect film, medicine, engineering, research, public service, and the city; students waiting for a prescribed path may experience mainly the crowd.
Institutional profile
Top tier Exceptional in affordability, and strong in academic standing.- Admission
- 8.7% admitted
- Price by income
- Resident and nonresident prices differ
- Completion
- 93.4%
145,903 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$82,511 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets UCLA apart
A major university in a major industry center
Entertainment, medicine, technology, research, and public institutions create varied professional access.
The UC application carries the full case
Four Personal Insight Questions replace a conventional personal essay and routine recommendations.
Residency materially changes cost
California residents and nonresidents face different published charges.
The UCLA scale
Turn a vast menu into a personal route
UCLA rewards students who choose early enough to convert scale into access.
Understand the school and major
Requirements and capacity shape the practical academic route.
Join a smaller community
Housing, a laboratory, team, club, or arts group makes the university manageable.
Use Los Angeles
Professional and civic work adds what the campus alone cannot.
Can I get in?
8.7% admitted
UCLA uses the UC application and does not ordinarily read recommendations. Grades, course rigor, activities, context, and four Personal Insight Questions must carry the evidence directly.
Recent applicant pool
145,903About 9 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Record over scores
No score range is published for the entering class, so the transcript, the course rigor, and the required materials carry the file.
Admission by residency
Harder for residents
Undergraduate first-year applicants and admits · Fall 2025
University of California-Los Angeles admitted 9.6% of California applicants and 11.2% of applicants from other states. Out-of-state applicants were admitted at 1.2 times the resident rate.
8,575 admitted from 89,324 applicants
3,530 admitted from 31,534 applicants
1,555 admitted from 24,200 applicants
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for UCLA, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What UCLA weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Build the UC evidence set
Use the four responses to cover different achievements, contexts, and contributions.
Show readiness at scale
Examples should demonstrate initiative when access or attention was not automatic.
Choose the academic route carefully
Some schools and majors have distinct preparation and review expectations.
Use Los Angeles specifically
Name a field and institution rather than praising the city in general.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
UCLA uses the UC application without Early Decision or Early Action. Applicants choose a major or school and answer four Personal Insight Questions with distinct evidence.
$80 application fee
Major and program admission
Some fields have their own entry path.
The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.
Performing and visual artsAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
BusinessAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Communication and journalismAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Computer scienceAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Teacher preparationAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
EngineeringAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
NursingAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
California residency changes the price sharply. Families should also account for Los Angeles housing, transportation, and travel beyond tuition.
College funding
Scholarships and financial aid
Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at UCLA
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Technology, entertainment, medicine, research, business, public service, and graduate study benefit from UCLA’s departments and location. Major choice changes the likely earnings path.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Economics
Psychology, General
Sociology
Political Science and Government
Research and Experimental Psychology
What is campus life like?
UCLA beyond the classroom
Westwood provides a defined campus and neighborhood inside Los Angeles. Residence halls, clubs, Greek life, athletics, and city outings create many separate communities.
The Hill concentrates early residential life
Residence halls and dining create an opening network above the main campus.
Campus dining is a recognized strength
Multiple residential dining formats support a large on-campus population, with Westwood immediately below.
Every field has several entry points
Media, research, service, engineering teams, arts, cultural groups, business, and athletics operate at major scale.
No single scene dominates
Residence halls, Greek groups, clubs, teams, Westwood, and greater Los Angeles divide the social map.
Los Angeles requires deliberate use
Studios, hospitals, companies, museums, agencies, and nonprofits are abundant but travel time shapes what is practical.