One of the top tier universities of the world, the University of California, Los Angeles or UCLA is one of the most popular universities for undergraduate and graduate courses. Offering more than 100 undergraduate major options, the university ranks 6th among the best universities of the US, while securing the 44th position in the QS World University Rankings 2023. Being one of the most sought-after universities in the US, the university has high requirements and a very low acceptance rate. If you are aiming to be a part of this prestigious university, this blog will familiarize you with the UCLA acceptance rate and criteria for admission.
This Blog Includes:
- UCLA Acceptance Rate
- UCLA (Anderson) MBA Acceptance Rate: Class of 2022
- Student Acceptance Rate by Major
- School of the Arts & Architecture
- Popular Courses at UCLA
- UCLA Admission Requirements
- How does UCLA evaluate applications?
- How to Stand Out in Your UCLA Application?
- Eligibility Criteria
- Application Process for UCLA
- How to get into UCLA?
- Application Tips
- FAQs
UCLA Acceptance Rate
In order to get admission here, you need to know their acceptance rate because UCLA is selective in taking the applicants. It describes how many percentages of candidates get confirmed. It is one of the top colleges across the globe, thus, is very selective in nature.
For the 2019 fall session, the UCLA acceptance rate for international students was only 8%. Around 111,322 students applied for the 2019 session, of which only 13, 720 students were selected for admission. Thus, it is very difficult to secure a position in the highly coveted seats of this university.
The general acceptance rate by the year 2020 was 12.4% overall. It means, in every 100 candidates, around 12 get accepted. In the year 2021, the acceptance rate rose to 28% for admission in graduate & undergraduate programs. So, it is essential to have a competitive advantage over other applicants by holding exceptional academic records and a high score at competitive examinations like TOEFL and IELTS.
UCLA (Anderson) MBA Acceptance Rate: Class of 2022
After getting familiarized with the university’s admission process, let’s now elaborate on the acceptance rate of UCLA. The current general acceptance rate is 28%. Now, let’s meet the class of 2022:
School | UCLA 2022 |
Application Received | 2817 |
Admits | 732 |
Estimated incoming rate | 360 |
Acceptance rate | 26% |
Average GMAT | 719 |
Median GMAT | NA |
GMAT Range | 680 – 750 |
Average Undergraduate GPA | NA |
Median Undergraduate GPA | NA |
GPA Range | 3.2 – 3.8 |
Female Students | 34% |
Minority Students | 29% |
International Students | 33% |
Countries Represented | 37 |
Student Acceptance Rate by Major
Overview by Major in the school of various fields:
Major | Applicants | Admit Rate ( percentile) |
American Indian Studies | 15 | 40 |
American Literature & Culture | 64 | 45 |
Applied Mathematics | 255 | 43 |
Biochemistry | 382 | 37 |
Biology | 956 | 21 |
Biophysics | 14 | 0 |
Chemistry | 293 | 30 |
Data Theory | 114 | 54 |
Ecology, behavior & evolution | 82 | 16 |
English | 735 | 43 |
Engineering Geology | 6 | 17 |
Gender Studies | 183 | 44 |
Geography | 102 | 59 |
History | 554 | 53 |
Linguistics | 103 | 48 |
Mathematics | 282 | 36 |
Microbiology, Immunology | 216 | 27 |
Neuroscience | 199 | 22 |
Philosophy | 354 | 54 |
Physics | 204 | 32 |
Political Science | 1377 | 39 |
Psychology | 2243 | 19 |
Sociology | 1658 | 38 |
Statistics | 298 | 36 |
School of the Arts & Architecture
Overview by the Major in the school of arts & architecture:
Major | Applicants | Admit Rate ( percentile) |
Architectural Studies | 245 | 14 |
Art | 305 | 8 |
Dance | 47 | 6 |
Design & Media Studies | 308 | 6 |
World Arts & Culture | 27 | 33 |
Popular Courses at UCLA
If you want to come within the UCLA acceptance rate you should have a detailed idea about the courses offered in the university. There are seven academic divisions offering more than 130 majors at the undergraduate level. The seven divisions are as follows:
- The College of Letters and Science
- School of Public Affairs
- Samueli School of Engineering
- School of Theater, Film and Television
- School of Nursing
- School of the Arts and Architecture
- School of Music
- Graduate School of Education & Information Studies
Most of the schools offer a chance for the students to pursue double majors. The university also offers more than 150 graduate programs (master’s level) and over 40 doctoral programs. The most popular undergraduate courses at UCLA include Economics, Political Science, Biology, Psychology, Business Economics and Psychobiology.
UCLA Admission Requirements
You must complete the UC Application if you want to apply to UCLA. You can apply to any one of the nine UC schools using this standardized form. Applying to more than one UC school will greatly improve your chances of being accepted into the UC system. Even though UCLA maybe your top pick, the other UC institutions provide top-notch education and a wealth of growth prospects.
Despite the fact that all UC schools use the same general application, each UC has its own admissions criteria and works with the UC Office of the President to establish its own unique objectives.
How does UCLA evaluate applications?
The University of California evaluates applications using a process known as the 13-Factor Comprehensive Review System. Each campus collaborates with the UC Office of the President to establish clear objectives and estimate the number of transfer and first-year students they anticipate enrolling each fall.
UCLA looks for applicants who will enrich their vibrant academic community. Candidates with leadership abilities, initiative, tenacity, and intellectual curiosity are preferred. While academic achievement is shown by grades and course selections, UCLA takes into account a wide range of factors when making admissions decisions. Along with academic and personal achievements, the criteria also take into account quantitative and qualitative elements.
The following faculty-approved standards are used by readers with professional training to evaluate each application. The complete justifications for each criterion are available here.
- A full record of achievement in college preparatory work in high school
- Personal qualities of the applicant
- Likely contributions to the intellectual and cultural vitality of the campus
- Achievement in academic enrichment programs.
- Other evidence of achievement
- Opportunities
- Challenges
How to Stand Out in Your UCLA Application?
Each year, admissions personnel review thousands of applications. How can you differentiate your UCLA application? Here are some helpful hints on how to make an impression on UCLA with your application:
- Determine your objectives for attending UCLA: Do you wish to seek opportunities in leadership? What constructive contributions do you aim to make to the university? You will have a better understanding of what you want and how you may contribute to the UCLA campus by responding to these questions.
- Make sure your application reflects who you really are: Be honest and real in your writing rather than writing what you believe admissions officers want to read. Discuss your growth experiences and the lessons you took away from them.
- Speak with UCLA students that are currently enrolled: Inquire about the activities they incorporated, the approaches and procedures that worked for them, and the application itself.
- Concentrate on the AP courses and extracurriculars that you find truly engaging.
In fields that interest you and benefit others, you will succeed. - Get as much information on UCLA and the UC application process as you can: To study as much as you can about UCLA and the UC applications, join online communities, read books and blogs, and schedule counselling sessions with your school’s counsellors.
- Consult Leverage Edu Experts: In order to make sure you include everything that will set your application apart from the competition, our highly qualified education and application specialists will guide you through every stage of the UCLA application process.
Eligibility Criteria
Before going on to the UCLA acceptance rate, it is useful to first get an idea about the essential criteria which make a student eligible for seeking admission for any course at UCLA. The eligibility requirements for international applicant are mentioned below:
- A stellar academic record is one of the greatest prerequisites for getting selected for any undergraduate or graduate program at UCLA. For the undergraduate courses, a minimum percentage of 80% marks in the 12th board exam is essential for a candidate to have a competitive edge along with SAT or ACT scores.
- For higher-level programs, the applicant should have a first-class or a high second-class Bachelor’s or Master’s degree depending on the program applied for. Additionally, universities to study in the USA also ask for GMAT and GRE scores.
- English proficiency is of utmost importance for applying to UCLA. The applicant is required to demonstrate their command of the language through English proficiency tests like TOEFL, IELTS etc. The average TOEFL score for accepted international students in the 2019 fall session at UCLA was 113.
- A good Score at either the ACT or the SAT is an essential requirement for international students applying at UCLA.
- A Letter of Recommendation (LOR) and a Statement of Purpose (SOP) also play an important role in the evaluation of the application.
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Application Process for UCLA
Getting a thorough understanding of the application process is essential if you desire to fall under the UCLA acceptance rate. The application process for the programs for various levels are more or less the same. The main application should include details of a valid test score, academic transcripts, SOP, etc. International students will be required to provide some additional details. There are also some Personal Insight Questions that an applicant is required to answer as part of the application process, which carry weightage in overall evaluation.
How to get into UCLA?
What UCLA looks for in an applicant? There are various factors to get university admission abroad. UCLA looks for an applicant who can bring leadership & perspective with his rich experience & personal story. It focuses on the below mentioned 3 things:
Strong Academic Performance
It does not only depend upon your GPA Score or test scores in academics. They are looking for someone who has a strong academic background from their high school. UCLA will see how many courses you took, how rigorous your high school curriculum was, and the way you challenged yourself in academia. To prove this, a student must go for honor or advance courses if they are aiming to get admission here.
Talents, Accomplishments & More
Not everyone can have some major achievements in the field of education but this is one of the drawbacks they can’t get admission here. Here achievements & unique talents are the topmost priority and are considered very first. They want to know your rewards & awards to figure out how you are outside the classroom.
Personal Character
They want to know your personality & lifestyle as well. UCLA will get to know how you are as a human being. With this, the college will evaluate how you are suitable for UCLA and vice versa.
Application Tips
Now that you know about the application process and popular courses at the university, here are some tips to help you enhance your application to make it fall within the UCLA acceptance rate.
- Do your research on the university
- Make sure to write a brilliant SOP
- Check all the details of your academic records and transcripts
- Explore all the courses offered to select the one most appealing to you
- Enter all your details carefully
FAQs
The total acceptance rate amongst the campuses of UC rose by 6.5% to 69.5% in 2020. Further, UCLA experienced the increase in acceptance rate from 2.3% to 16.3% in 2020.
UCLA is considered as one of the lucrative universities in United States. It has always been a tough competing university for international aspirants. Further, it’s getting difficult to get into UCLA each year. However, with good grades and academic performance, there are high chances of getting accepted by the college.
UCLA was established in 1919 and is ranked as one of the top university in USA. It is certainly best university known for researches, innovations and higher learning. The university is famous for top 5 undergraduate programs namely, Business Economics, Biology, Psychology, Economics and Political Science. Apart from this, UCLA offers more than 3900 courses across 109 academic departments.
UCLA and USC are ranked at 20th and 22nd respectively in the list of best national universities by the US News. However, if you want to pursue your degree in research related field, then USC is the best option to opt for. On the other hand, UCLA is famous for its top 5 areas namely Economics, Business Science, Psychology, Biology and Political Science.
UCLA is a top Public university in USA. It has more than 3900 courses across 109 departments. However, you will need very high grades and good academic performance to get into college. Initially, the average GPA accepted at UCLA is 4.0 and higher. During admission , your SAT scores are also evaluated.
Hope this blog was helpful in explaining the UCLA acceptance rate and application process. Aiming to apply for a course at UCLA? Experts at Leverage Edu can guide you through all the required aspects of the application process. Sign up for a counselling session today!