Is UCLA harder to get into out of state?

Yes, it is generally harder to get into UCLA as an out-of-state (OOS) student because UCLA, as a public university, prioritizes California residents, but OOS acceptance rates often appear higher due to lower yield (fewer OOS admits actually enroll) and a diverse applicant pool, making the admission standard tough but potentially less competitive than for in-state students who are a primary focus. While OOS acceptance rates might seem better (e.g., 9-23% vs. ~14-15% in-state in recent years), OOS students are evaluated for fewer spots and face a higher overall bar, with some data suggesting an 18% cap on non-residents.

Is UCLA hard to get into out of state?

Out-of-state students have a slightly higher acceptance rate than in-state students, but this is due to disparate application rates, and it is much harder for out of state students to gain admission generally. International students have a harder time than all domestic students.

Does UCLA accept more in-state students?

Across the UC system, in-state college acceptance rates are rising while out-of-state college acceptance rates are falling. Therefore, students from outside California face more pressure to excel in their UCLA application. This leads to higher UCLA GPA requirements and UCLA SAT requirements for those applicants.

What percentage of UCLA is out of state?

14.4% of UCLA students come from out of state, and 12.33% come from out of the country. Student Location Diversity 79 out of 100. The undergraduate student body is split among 44 states (may include Washington D.C.). Click on the map for more detail.

Is UCLA the hardest UC to get into?

Yes, UCLA is consistently among the hardest, if not the single hardest, UC to get into, often competing with UC Berkeley for the lowest acceptance rates, though recent data shows UCLA as slightly more competitive with its plummeting rate and status as the nation's most applied-to university, requiring exceptional academic strength, especially for popular majors like Nursing or Film. 

How To RUIN Your College Years

Is UCLA harder than Harvard?

It's generally harder to get into Harvard due to its much lower acceptance rate (around 3-4%) compared to UCLA (around 9%), but UCLA can be harder for applicants with less-than-perfect grades because of its strong emphasis on straight A's for admitted students, sometimes requiring near-perfect GPAs even for public school standards. Ultimately, both are incredibly selective, with Harvard being tougher overall for admissions but UCLA being uniquely difficult if you lack perfect high school grades, while Harvard offers a different academic intensity and resources.
 

What is the hardest major to get into UCLA?

The hardest majors to get into at UCLA consistently have extremely low acceptance rates, with Nursing Prelicensure, Film and Television, and Computer Science often topping the list, alongside competitive engineering fields like Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, due to high demand and capped programs requiring strong supplemental applications or auditions, especially for arts. 

What is the #1 hardest college to get into?

There isn't one single #1 hardest school, as it changes slightly by year and criteria, but Harvard University, Stanford University, MIT, and Caltech consistently rank among the top with extremely low acceptance rates (often 3-4%) and intense competition for spots, though other top global universities like Oxford and Tsinghua are also incredibly selective. Harvard is frequently cited as the hardest due to its high volume of applications and focus on global leadership potential, while Caltech is known for its extreme difficulty in STEM. 

Is UCLA harder to get into than USC?

It's extremely competitive for both, but UCLA is generally harder to get into for in-state applicants due to higher GPA demands and a public university quota, while USC becomes exceptionally difficult for out-of-state applicants, often balancing academic rigor with the ability to pay, though recent acceptance rates are similar (around 9-10%), with UCLA receiving far more applicants. The specific difficulty depends heavily on your residency, major, and extracurricular profile, as UCLA emphasizes grades (test-blind) and USC weighs extracurriculars and financial contribution more heavily. 

What major is the easiest to get into UCLA?

The "easiest" UCLA majors to get into often fall within the humanities or arts, with Ethnomusicology, Musicology, World Arts and Cultures, and certain humanities/social sciences (like Spanish, American Indian Studies, or English) showing higher admission rates, especially for transfers. However, admission difficulty varies significantly between freshman and transfer applicants, and "easy" is relative at a competitive school like UCLA; focusing on your genuine interest is key, as STEM fields, Engineering, and TFT have much lower admit rates. 

Is UCLA affordable for out of state students?

Graduate Tuition and Fees

For out-of-state graduate students, UCLA tuition and fees were $29,578. This is in line with the estimated $44,640 to $71,140 for a master's degree, according to Education Data's estimates. There are many options for graduate loans that can help with these costs.

Can you get a full ride to UCLA out of state?

If the Registrar classifies you as an out of state student, we will offer assistance to cover your out of state tuition. This support will include Federal Parent PLUS and/or Private Loans. Please be advised that University Grants and Scholarships will not cover your non-resident fees.

How to get into UCLA as an out of state student?

GPA Requirements

The minimum high school GPA requirement for in-state applicants is a 3.0, while it's a 3.4 for out-of-state applicants. However, the typical admitted student has a much higher GPA than this. The average GPA for students admitted in fall 2024 was 3.93.

What kind of student does UCLA look for?

We seek students whose personal stories and rich experience bring the type of perspective and leadership that we value. We seek intellectually curious students who have grown through their academic work and are ready to both contribute to and benefit from the UCLA community.

What is the #1 party school?

For 2026, the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), is widely ranked as the #1 party school by sources like Niche, based on student surveys about campus party scenes, access to nightlife, and Greek life, followed by schools like Florida State and Tulane. Other strong contenders often mentioned include the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USC, and the University of Alabama, with rankings varying slightly by publication and criteria.
 

Where do top 1% send kids to college?

The "top 1%" of students, often defined by family income, tend to go to highly selective, elite universities like Dartmouth, Yale, Penn, Brown, Princeton, and Stanford, MIT, and Harvard, with some Ivy League schools having a higher concentration of these students than the bottom 60% of income earners. Rankings vary, but MIT, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, and UC Berkeley consistently appear at the top for overall academic standing, attracting top talent across all income levels. 

Where do the 1% go to college?

The 1% of the wealthiest Americans disproportionately attend highly selective, elite universities, particularly Ivy League schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Brown, Penn, Columbia) and other top institutions like MIT, Stanford, Duke, and UChicago, where they make up a large percentage of the student body, often outnumbering students from the bottom 60% of income earners combined. Liberal arts colleges and prestigious public universities also attract many wealthy students, with specific examples including WashU St. Louis, UVA, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Vanderbilt, and Johns Hopkins.
 

What's harder to get into, UCLA or Harvard?

Is Harvard University or UCLA Harder to get into? Which school is easier to get into? If you're looking at acceptance rate alone, then Harvard University is more difficult to get into. However, each college is looking to fill its incoming class with a variety of students with different strengths, backgrounds, etc.

Is a degree from UCLA respected?

It is generally considered one of, if not the most prestigious public schools in the country.

What extracurriculars impress UCLA admissions?

As UCLA's admissions office puts it: “get more involved in extracurriculars that build on your passions, interests and skills. Whether you're into bass guitar, baseball or baking, colleges will be impressed by your desire to become an expert in the areas that interest you.”

Why is UCLA not number 1 anymore?

UCLA lost its #1 public university spot (in some rankings like U.S. News) to UC Berkeley primarily due to major federal funding cuts by the Trump administration in 2025, impacting its financial resources and potentially faculty resources, though a judge ordered much of the money restored; this coincided with varying rankings methodologies that often favor Berkeley in research/earnings while UCLA excels in student outcomes, but the funding crisis significantly affected metrics in recent reports. 

What does 4 fingers mean for UCLA?

For UCLA, holding up four fingers (often on both hands, thumbs tucked) is the "4s Up" gesture, representing the four letters in the school's name (UCLA) and connecting to the famous "8-clap" cheer, symbolizing school pride, victory, and unity for athletes, fans, and recruits, often seen after wins or in recruiting photos.
 

Is going to UCLA a big deal?

Academic excellence

This strong academic reputation is reflected in UCLA's consistent ranking among the top universities in the world, particularly in fields like psychology, engineering, and the arts. UCLA offers 125 majors available across various fields and is home to more than 350 research centers and institutes.