UCLA acceptance rate and admissions profile
With an acceptance rate near 9%, UCLA is a most selective public university in California. Because it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what UCLA weighs, where it ranks among California schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1510, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
Will I get into UCLA?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into UCLA, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into UCLA?
UCLA admits about 9% of applicants, but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for UCLA in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is UCLA hard to get into?
UCLA is most selective: it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, with about a 9% acceptance rate. At this level, strong grades and scores are the baseline, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
What GPA do you need to get into UCLA?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at UCLA, but admitted students almost universally present a 3.9 to 4.0 GPA earned in the most demanding courses their school offers. UCLA reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
What SAT score do you need for UCLA?
UCLA does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1510. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at UCLA.
What UCLA looks for
What UCLA weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, UCLA leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and extracurricular activities. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from UCLA's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at UCLA
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability — your full profile determines the real estimate.
How UCLA compares in California
UCLA ranks #4 most selective of 61 schools in California in our database.
Among the 61 California schools we track, UCLA ranks #4 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like California Institute of Technology (3%) and Stanford University (4%) sit nearby, which makes California a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to UCLA
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around UCLA with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as U.S. Naval Academy, University of California, Berkeley, and U.S. Military Academy. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What does UCLA value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, UCLA weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and extracurricular activities most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does UCLA favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, UCLA generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at UCLA?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at UCLA specifically.
How does residency affect admission to UCLA?
As a public university, UCLA typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
Can I get into UCLA with a perfect GPA and test scores?
Top grades and scores are necessary but not sufficient at UCLA. At this selectivity most applicants are already academically qualified, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
Acceptance rate and admitted test ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education / NCES IPEDS / Common Data Sets). Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.