Riverside, CA · Public · 22,593 undergraduates · urban
University of California-Riverside
Moderately selective
A UC research campus serving Southern California’s fast-growing Inland Empire with notable strength in science, engineering, business, and agriculture.
Institutional profile
Highly regarded Exceptional in mobility, and strong in affordability.- Admission
- 63.3% admitted
- Price by income
- Resident and nonresident prices differ
- Completion
- 79.1%
62,807 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$67,699 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets University of California-Riverside apart
Academic design
Broad research curriculum anchored by natural sciences, engineering, business, humanities, and agriculture-related research.
Campus pattern
Riverside combines a residential research campus with access to the Inland Empire and greater Southern California.
Career & value signal
Regional growth in healthcare, logistics, government, engineering, and business expands internship possibilities.
Can I get in?
63.3% admitted
Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.
Recent applicant pool
62,807About 63 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
Open either way
Undergraduate first-year applicants and admits · Fall 2025
University of California-Riverside admitted 87.5% of California applicants and 95.2% of applicants from other states. It admits most of the students who apply, whichever group they are in.
53,579 admitted from 61,259 applicants
2,815 admitted from 2,956 applicants
5,324 admitted from 6,363 applicants
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for University of California-Riverside, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What University of California-Riverside 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
Show preparation for this curriculum
Broad research curriculum anchored by natural sciences, engineering, business, humanities, and agriculture-related research.
Make institutional fit specific
A UC research campus serving Southern California’s fast-growing Inland Empire with notable strength in science, engineering, business, and agriculture.
Use the application route carefully
Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.
$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.
BusinessAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Computer scienceAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
EngineeringAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
College funding
Scholarships and financial aid
Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.
University of California-Riverside publishes two merit awards, the largest reaching $10,000 to $20,000 a year. No separate scholarship application is required; the college uses the admission application. All of them renew past the first year.
Open across the university · Merit · Renews
Open across the university · Merit · Renews
In the season card
These two awards, by name
What each one is called, what it pays, the grades and scores it asks for, and what to send.
- The name of each award
- What it pays
- The grades and scores it asks for
- How to be considered
- What to send, and where
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at University of California-Riverside
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
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student 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.
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Admits separately
Biology, General
Research and Experimental Psychology
Sociology
Computer Science
Admits separately
What is campus life like?
University of California-Riverside beyond the classroom
Riverside combines a residential research campus with access to the Inland Empire and greater Southern California.
A defining academic feature
Broad research curriculum anchored by natural sciences, engineering, business, humanities, and agriculture-related research.
What shapes an ordinary week
Riverside combines a residential research campus with access to the Inland Empire and greater Southern California.
Where the degree can lead
Regional growth in healthcare, logistics, government, engineering, and business expands internship possibilities.