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University of California-Los Angeles
University of California-Los Angeles admits 9 of every 100 applicants — a reach school for nearly everyone applying to University of California-Los Angeles, whatever the rest of the profile says.
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University of California-Los Angeles sits in Los Angeles 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 $228,705 four years out. Faculty pay averages $274,176 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 33,475 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 97.3% of first-years come back for a second year.
University of California-Los Angeles 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
University of California-Los Angeles does not use test scores in admissions at all: the 9% who got into University of California-Los Angeles did it on GPA, coursework and application alone. No score range exists to publish.
In the Fall 2023 cycle, University of California-Los Angeles received 145,903 applications and admitted 12,736 (8.7%), with 6,585 enrolling.
How University of California-Los Angeles compares
| University of California-Los Angeles | California median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 9% | 75.7% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $15,203 | $23,000 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $82,511 | $64,778 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median University of California-Los Angeles student earns $82,511 — 27% above the California median of $64,778 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
As a public university, University of California-Los Angeles prices by residency: $15,203 in-state versus $49,403 out-of-state — a $34,200 gap that makes state lines part of the decision.
33,475 undergraduates make University of California-Los Angeles a large campus: broad course catalogs and big intro lectures come as a package.
92.6% of University of California-Los Angeles students finish a bachelor's within six years — 37.8 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $15,203 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at University of California-Los Angeles
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $228,705 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $216,722 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | $129,425 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $126,209 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $118,566 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $116,525 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $115,706 |
| Statistics | $109,017 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $108,875 |
| Chemical Engineering | $108,066 |
| Applied Mathematics | $103,887 |
| Cognitive Science | $102,066 |
| Mathematics | $99,269 |
| Civil Engineering | $97,092 |
| Economics | $95,440 |
| Physics | $85,708 |
| International/Globalization Studies | $82,501 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $79,143 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $75,927 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $75,504 |
| Political Science and Government | $74,202 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $73,506 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $72,443 |
| Chemistry | $72,220 |
| Geography and Cartography | $67,193 |
| Human Biology | $66,496 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $66,259 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $65,024 |
| Sociology | $64,692 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $62,927 |
| Biology, General | $61,804 |
| Philosophy | $61,754 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | $61,134 |
| Psychology, General | $61,050 |
| History | $59,555 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | $57,139 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $55,946 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $55,898 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $55,404 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $55,346 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $55,088 |
| Anthropology | $54,905 |
| Area Studies | $51,755 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | $51,559 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $50,904 |
| Music | $47,779 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $46,173 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $39,023 |
| Dance | $36,277 |
Median earnings for these 49 University of California-Los Angeles programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $82,511 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 27 additional University of California-Los Angeles programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for University of California-Los Angeles?
University of California-Los Angeles doesn't look at test scores; its 9% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is University of California-Los Angeles's acceptance rate?
8.7% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 12,736 admitted from 145,903 applicants.
How much does University of California-Los Angeles cost?
In-state tuition is $15,203; out-of-state students pay $49,403. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do University of California-Los Angeles graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $82,511 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in California
- University of California-Berkeley — 11% admitted
- Alliant International University-San Diego — 0% admitted
- California Institute of Technology — 2.6% admitted
- Claremont McKenna College — 9.6% 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.