Colleges › California › University of California-Irvine
University of California-Irvine
Admission here is competitive but not lottery-odds: 25.6% got in from a pool of 121,101 (Fall 2023 cycle).
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University of California-Irvine sits in Irvine proper — a public campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. It carries a land-grant charter — the 1862 mandate that ties it to agricultural and practical education. The university runs its own medical system, which colors both its budget and its biggest programs.
Its highest-earning path is Computer Engineering, where graduates median $132,357 four years out. 36.1% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 30,197 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 94% of first-years come back for a second year.
University of California-Irvine won't look at test scores — here the GPA calculator is the tool that matters. Bring your saved semester numbers and see what they average.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, University of California-Irvine received 121,101 applications and admitted 30,962 (25.6%), with 6,796 enrolling.
Leave the SAT prep out of this one — test scores are disregarded entirely. University of California-Irvine's 28.6% admission rate turned on grades and application strength.
How University of California-Irvine compares
| University of California-Irvine | California median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 28.6% | 75.7% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $15,722 | $23,000 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $80,735 | $64,778 | $53,781 |
Earnings data favors University of California-Irvine: $80,735 median at year ten, versus $64,778 across California institutions.
Cost, size & completion
In-state students pay $15,722 in tuition; crossing a state border raises that to $49,922. For non-residents, University of California-Irvine's $49,922 is the number to weigh against private options before assuming public means cheaper.
University of California-Irvine is a big school: 30,197 undergraduates at last count.
86.9% of University of California-Irvine students finish a bachelor's within six years — 32 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $15,722 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at University of California-Irvine
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $132,357 |
| Computer Science | $127,404 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $119,502 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $108,038 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $106,871 |
| Materials Engineering | $106,547 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $100,537 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $99,111 |
| Chemical Engineering | $97,656 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $96,874 |
| Civil Engineering | $96,354 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $96,347 |
| Physics | $96,215 |
| Economics | $83,937 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $80,755 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | $77,807 |
| Mathematics | $77,472 |
| Chemistry | $74,810 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $70,820 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | $69,981 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | $63,819 |
| Political Science and Government | $63,318 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $61,034 |
| Public Health | $60,430 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $60,242 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $59,908 |
| Criminology | $57,935 |
| Journalism | $57,492 |
| International/Globalization Studies | $57,116 |
| Sociology | $56,457 |
| Psychology, General | $56,380 |
| Biology, General | $56,273 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $55,360 |
| Education, General | $54,356 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | $54,323 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $54,299 |
| History | $53,481 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $51,423 |
| Anthropology | $50,850 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $47,471 |
| Music | $43,120 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $40,773 |
| Dance | $40,466 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $39,010 |
Median earnings for these 44 University of California-Irvine programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $80,735 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 28 additional University of California-Irvine programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for University of California-Irvine?
University of California-Irvine doesn't look at test scores; its 28.6% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is University of California-Irvine's acceptance rate?
25.6% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 30,962 admitted from 121,101 applicants.
How much does University of California-Irvine cost?
In-state tuition is $15,722; out-of-state students pay $49,922. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do University of California-Irvine graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $80,735 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in California
- University of California-San Diego — 26.7% admitted
- University of California-Santa Barbara — 33% admitted
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo — 31.3% admitted
- California Institute of the Arts — 32.3% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.