UCLA Common Data Set 2025-2026

UCLA’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set gives applicants a detailed look at one of the most competitive public universities in the country. The data shows UCLA’s overall selectivity, how the university weighs grades, course rigor, essays, extracurriculars, and residency, and why UCLA’s admissions process is fundamentally different from test-optional private universities.

Below is what the latest data reveals about UCLA admissions and what applicants should take away from it.

A Sharper Look at UCLA’s Selectivity

For the class entering in Fall 2025, UCLA reported:

• Applications received: 145,086

• Students admitted: 13,659

• Students enrolled: 6,553

• Acceptance rate: roughly 9.4 percent

• Yield rate: roughly 48.0 percent

That means UCLA admitted fewer than one student out of every ten who applied. For a public university receiving more than 145,000 applications, this is an enormous level of selectivity.

The yield rate also matters. Nearly half of admitted students enrolled, which shows UCLA is not simply a school students apply to casually. It is a first-choice or top-choice school for a massive number of applicants.

UCLA Does Not Offer Early Decision or Early Action

Unlike many private universities, UCLA does not offer Early Decision or Early Action. The Common Data Set reports:

• Early Decision: not offered

• Early Action: not offered

• Regular application deadline: November 30

• Admission notification: by March 31

• Reply deadline: May 1

• Application fee: $70

• Fee waivers: available for applicants with financial need

This matters strategically. There is no ED boost at UCLA. There is no early round where a student can signal commitment. Every first-year applicant is competing through the regular UC application process.

That makes the November 30 deadline extremely important. UCLA applicants cannot count on a second round, a later private-school-style deadline, or a binding early option to improve their odds.

UCLA Is Test-Blind for Admission

One of the most important differences between UCLA and many elite private universities is testing.

UCLA reports that it does not make use of SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions for first-time, first-year applicants. It also rates standardized test scores as Not Considered in the admissions factor table.

That means SAT and ACT scores do not strengthen a UCLA application, even if they are excellent.

The Common Data Set also reports that UCLA may use SAT, ACT, and AP scores for placement or academic advising. That is different from using scores for admission.

The practical takeaway is clear:

• A 1550 SAT does not help a UCLA applicant get admitted.

• A weak SAT or ACT score does not hurt a UCLA applicant.

• UCLA applicants should put their energy into grades, rigor, UC essays, activities, and the broader UC application.

• Test scores may still matter after admission for placement or advising, but not for the admissions decision itself.

The Academic Profile of Enrolled Students

Because UCLA does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission, the Common Data Set does not provide the kind of enrolled-student SAT or ACT profile that appears in many private university data sets.

Instead, GPA becomes one of the clearest numerical indicators of academic strength.

Among enrolled first-year students who submitted high school GPA:

• Average high school GPA: 3.94

• Percent submitting GPA: 99.8 percent

• 4.0 GPA: 58.8 percent

• 3.75 to 3.99 GPA: 34.6 percent

• 3.50 to 3.74 GPA: 4.9 percent

• 3.25 to 3.49 GPA: 1.0 percent

• 3.00 to 3.24 GPA: 0.4 percent

• 2.50 to 2.99 GPA: 0.2 percent

• 2.00 to 2.49 GPA: 0.1 percent

That means 93.4 percent of enrolled students with reported GPA data had a GPA of 3.75 or higher, and 98.3 percent had a GPA of 3.50 or higher.

For UCLA, grades are not just one part of the application. They are one of the central parts of the application.

UCLA’s Recommended High School Preparation

UCLA reports that it requires a general college-preparatory program. The Common Data Set lists:

• Total academic units required: 15

• Total academic units recommended: 18

• English: 4 required, 4 recommended

• Math: 3 required, 4 recommended

• Science: 2 required, 3 recommended

• Lab science: 2 required, 3 recommended

• Foreign language: 2 required, 3 recommended

• History: 2 required, 2 recommended

• Academic electives: 1 required, 1 recommended

• Visual or performing arts: 1 required, 1 recommended

The gap between required and recommended matters. A student who merely satisfies the minimum UC requirements may be eligible, but that does not mean they are competitive for UCLA.

The stronger UCLA applicant is usually closer to the recommended side, with advanced coursework, strong grades, and a demanding senior-year schedule.

Who Makes Up the First-Year Class

UCLA’s Fall 2025 first-year class was large and diverse. By racial and ethnic category, the first-year class was reported as:

• Asian: 30.6 percent

• Hispanic or Latino: 24.4 percent

• White: 19.7 percent

• Two or more races: 8.8 percent

• International or nonresident: 8.4 percent

• Race or ethnicity unknown: 4.8 percent

• Black or African American: 3.1 percent

• American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.1 percent

• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 0.1 percent

UCLA also reports that 15 percent of domestic first-year students were from out of state, excluding international students from the calculation.

That number matters. UCLA is a global university, but it is also a California public university. The Common Data Set says both geographic residence and state residency are considered in admissions.

How UCLA Weighs Each Part of the Application

The admissions factor table is one of the most useful parts of UCLA’s Common Data Set.

Rated Very Important:

• Rigor of secondary school record

• Academic GPA

• Application essay

Rated Important:

• Extracurricular activities

• Talent or ability

• Character and personal qualities

• Volunteer work

• Work experience

Rated Considered:

• First-generation status

• Geographic residence

• State residency

Rated Not Considered:

• Class rank

• Standardized test scores

• Recommendations

• Interview

• Alumni relation

• Religious affiliation or commitment

• Level of applicant’s interest

The pattern is clear. UCLA is not a test-score school. It is not a recommendation-driven school. It is not a demonstrated-interest school.

UCLA is primarily looking at the rigor of the transcript, the GPA, the UC essays, and the applicant’s activities, talents, character, service, and work experience.

Demonstrated Interest Does Not Matter

UCLA reports that an applicant’s level of interest is Not Considered.

That means visiting campus, opening emails, attending webinars, or contacting admissions does not function as an admissions factor.

Applicants should still research UCLA carefully, but not because they are trying to “demonstrate interest.” They should research UCLA so they can make smart application choices and write stronger UC Personal Insight Questions.

Recommendations and Interviews Do Not Matter Either

UCLA reports that recommendations and interviews are Not Considered for general first-year admission.

That is a major difference from many private universities. At schools like Duke, Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins, or Emory, recommendations can matter significantly. At UCLA, the Common Data Set says recommendations are not part of the general admissions evaluation.

This makes the UC application itself even more important. The applicant cannot rely on a counselor letter, teacher letter, alumni interview, or test score to add missing context. The student has to present that context directly through grades, course choices, activities, awards, PIQs, and application details.

What the Top Factors Actually Mean

The three Very Important factors are where UCLA applications are won or lost.

Rigor of secondary school record. UCLA wants students who challenged themselves in the context of what their high school offered. AP, IB, honors, dual enrollment, advanced STEM courses, advanced humanities courses, and serious senior-year coursework all matter.

Academic GPA. UCLA’s enrolled GPA profile is extremely strong. A 3.75+ GPA is common among admitted students, not exceptional by itself. Grades must be strong across a demanding curriculum.

Application essay. In the UC system, this means the Personal Insight Questions. UCLA rates the essay category as Very Important, so the PIQs should not be treated as short-answer filler. They are one of the few places where the applicant can show initiative, maturity, values, intellectual direction, and personal context.

The UCLA Applicant Strategy

A strong UCLA application should be built around academic strength and clear personal substance.

The transcript needs to show rigor and consistency. Since standardized test scores and recommendations are not considered, the academic record has to stand on its own. UCLA needs to see that the student can thrive in a large, demanding, fast-moving research university.

The activities section also matters. UCLA rates extracurricular activities, talent, character, volunteer work, and work experience as Important. That means the strongest applicants should show more than club membership. They should show initiative, leadership, skill, contribution, responsibility, or real impact.

The PIQs should connect the dots. Because UCLA does not use teacher recommendations or interviews, the essays have to explain what the application data alone cannot. Strong PIQs can clarify motivation, intellectual curiosity, resilience, leadership, service, family responsibility, creativity, or community impact.

The mistake many students make is treating UCLA like a private T20 school with a UC application attached. UCLA is different. It does not consider test scores, recommendations, interviews, alumni status, or demonstrated interest. The application has to succeed through the UC system’s own categories.

The Waitlist Is Huge, and It Moves

UCLA reports that it uses a waitlist. For Fall 2025:

• Students offered a place on the waitlist: 20,563

• Students accepting a place on the waitlist: 13,612

• Students admitted from the waitlist: 1,514

• Waitlist ranked: No

That means about 11.1 percent of students who accepted a waitlist spot were eventually admitted.

The waitlist is real, but it is not predictable. UCLA’s waitlist movement depends on yield, enrollment targets, residency mix, major capacity, and institutional priorities. A student should accept a waitlist spot if UCLA remains a top choice, but they should not treat the waitlist as a plan.

Transfer Admission Is a Major Part of UCLA

UCLA is also one of the most important transfer destinations in the country. The Common Data Set reports:

• Transfer applications: 28,487

• Transfer admits: 6,665

• Transfer enrolled students: 3,933

• Transfer acceptance rate: roughly 23.4 percent

• Transfer yield rate: roughly 59.0 percent

That is a massive transfer class. UCLA’s transfer pathway is not an afterthought. For many students, especially California community college students, transfer admission is one of the most important routes into UCLA.

The Common Data Set also reports that transfer applicants must have a minimum college GPA of 2.4 for California residents and 2.8 for nonresidents, along with 60 transferable semester units. Requirements vary by program, and UCLA reports that progress toward major requirements and general education requirements is considered.

The transfer admit rate is higher than the first-year admit rate, but that does not mean transfer admission is easy. Transfer applicants are evaluated in a different pool, often with major preparation playing a major role.

Life and Academics Once You Arrive

The Common Data Set also gives a picture of UCLA’s undergraduate experience:

• First-year retention rate: 97 percent

• Six-year graduation rate: 92.8 percent for the Fall 2019 cohort

• Student-to-faculty ratio: 20 to 1

• First-year students living in college-owned, operated, or affiliated housing: 98.9 percent

• Undergraduates living in college-owned, operated, or affiliated housing: 41.8 percent

• Domestic first-year students from out of state: 15 percent

The student-to-faculty ratio is much higher than at many elite private universities, which is not surprising for a large public research university. UCLA offers extraordinary academic and research opportunities, but students should expect a large-campus environment and should be prepared to advocate for themselves.

Class Size

UCLA reports 2,565 undergraduate class sections in Fall 2025. The class-size breakdown was:

• 2 to 9 students: 647 sections

• 10 to 19 students: 538 sections

• 20 to 29 students: 429 sections

• 30 to 39 students: 196 sections

• 40 to 49 students: 126 sections

• 50 to 99 students: 295 sections

• 100+ students: 334 sections

That means about 46 percent of undergraduate class sections had fewer than 20 students, and about 63 percent had fewer than 30 students. At the same time, about 13 percent of class sections had 100 or more students.

This fits UCLA’s identity. It offers both small classes and large lecture experiences. Students should expect a mix.

Popular Academic Areas

UCLA’s degree distribution shows a broad academic profile, with especially large numbers in social sciences, biology, psychology, math, engineering, and interdisciplinary fields.

The largest bachelor’s degree areas reported include:

• Social sciences: 24.9 percent

• Biological and life sciences: 16.3 percent

• Psychology: 11.3 percent

• Mathematics and statistics: 7.6 percent

• Engineering: 6.9 percent

• Interdisciplinary studies: 6.7 percent

• Visual and performing arts: 4.1 percent

• Computer and information sciences: 3.7 percent

• English: 2.8 percent

• Communication and journalism: 2.4 percent

• History: 2.3 percent

• Area, ethnic, and gender studies: 2.1 percent

This matters for applicants because UCLA is not just a STEM school, not just a film school, and not just a pre-med school. It is a massive public research university with exceptional strength across the sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, and professional pathways.

A Note on Cost and Financial Aid Data

Unlike several other Common Data Sets, the attached UCLA 2025-2026 CDS does not provide usable filled-in annual expense or financial aid award figures in the relevant tables.

That means this page should not claim a UCLA CDS-based total cost of attendance, average aid package, average grant, or loan burden from this particular document. Families should use UCLA’s official cost-of-attendance and net price resources when evaluating affordability.

The CDS does confirm that the UCLA application fee is $70 and that fee waivers are available for applicants with financial need.

If you are preparing a UC applications for the 2026-2027 cycle and want experienced guidance on the pieces that actually move the needle, schedule a consultation with a UC admissions expert today.