UCLA is consistently the most-applied-to university in the United States, receiving well over 145,000 undergraduate applications a year. Its overall acceptance rate has fallen to around 9%, making it one of the most selective public universities in the world — with the most sought-after majors (Computer Science, Business Economics) admitting in the low single digits.
UCLA Overall Acceptance Rate (2025–2026)
| Admissions Cycle | Applications | Admitted | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 entry (Fall 2024) | ~145,000 | ~13,200 | ~9.1% |
| 2023 entry | ~139,000 | ~13,500 | ~9.7% |
| 2022 entry | ~149,800 | ~14,600 | ~9.7% |
| 2020 entry | ~113,000 | ~14,600 | ~12.9% |
UCLA has held its title as the most-applied-to university in the US for over a decade, driving acceptance rates steadily downward even as the admitted class size stays relatively stable.
UCLA Acceptance Rate by Major
UCLA admits directly by major (or "College"/School) — acceptance rates vary enormously:
College of Engineering (Samueli School)
| Major | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | ~3–5% |
| Computer Science and Engineering | ~4–6% |
| Electrical Engineering | ~8–12% |
| Mechanical Engineering | ~10–14% |
| Bioengineering | ~8–12% |
UCLA Computer Science is regularly cited as one of the hardest single-major admits in the entire UC system — more selective than admission to UCLA overall by a wide margin.
College of Letters and Science
| Major | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|
| Business Economics | ~6–9% |
| Economics | ~10–14% |
| Psychology | ~10–15% |
| Political Science | ~12–18% |
| English | ~15–20% |
| Biology (pre-med track) | ~10–15% |
School of Theater, Film and Television (TFT)
| Major | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|
| Film and Television (undergraduate) | ~3–6% |
TFT's undergraduate film programme is among the most competitive creative-arts admits in the country, requiring a supplemental portfolio/application beyond the standard UC Application.
UCLA Graduate Acceptance Rates
| Programme | Est. Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|
| Anderson School of Management (MBA) | ~15–20% |
| UCLA School of Law (JD) | ~20–25% |
| Samueli School of Engineering (MS) | Varies by department, ~20–35% |
| Samueli School of Engineering (PhD) | ~10–15% |
| Luskin School of Public Affairs (MPP) | ~30–40% |
| David Geffen School of Medicine (MD) | ~2–3% |
UCLA Anderson's full-time MBA is one of the most competitive programmes on the West Coast, with strong entertainment, technology, and finance recruiting pipelines drawing a large applicant pool relative to class size.
What Admitted UCLA Students Look Like
Academic Profile (Freshmen)
| Metric | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| GPA (weighted) | 4.15 – 4.30 (middle 50%) |
| GPA (unweighted) | 3.85 – 4.0 |
| SAT | 1290 – 1520 (middle 50%) |
| ACT | 28 – 34 (middle 50%) |
Like all UC campuses, UCLA does not consider standardized test scores in its holistic review (UC's test-free policy) — admission is based on the UC Application's 8 Personal Insight Questions (4 answered), GPA, course rigor, and achievements.
For Computer Science Specifically
| Metric | Typical for Admitted CS Students |
|---|---|
| GPA (weighted) | 4.30+ |
| AP Computer Science, AP Calculus BC | 5 |
| Demonstrated interest | Personal coding projects, hackathons, competitive programming |
International Students at UCLA
International students make up approximately 12–14% of UCLA's undergraduate class, with substantially higher representation in graduate Engineering and the Anderson MBA. UCLA's minimum TOEFL for international undergraduate applicants is 83 iBT — a firm requirement absent a qualifying English-medium schooling exemption.
TOEFL and IELTS for UCLA
| Programme | TOEFL Min | IELTS Min | Competitive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 83 iBT | 7.0 | 100–120 TOEFL |
| Graduate Division | 87 iBT | 7.0 | 100–115 TOEFL |
| Anderson MBA | No formal min | No formal min | 100–110 TOEFL |
| UCLA Law (LLM) | 87 iBT | 7.0 | 100–115 TOEFL |
| Luskin School (MPP) | 87 iBT | 7.0 | 95–110 TOEFL |
UCLA's undergraduate TOEFL minimum of 83 is a firm requirement — international applicants who fall short without a qualifying exemption will not receive an admissions offer, regardless of academic profile.
How to Improve Your UCLA Application
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Treat the Personal Insight Questions as the centerpiece, not a formality — with no test scores considered, UCLA's holistic review leans heavily on your 4 PIQ responses to differentiate otherwise similar academic profiles.
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For Computer Science/CSE: show independent building, not just coursework — personal projects, open-source contributions, and hackathon results matter more than GPA alone at this level of selectivity.
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For TFT Film: invest heavily in the supplemental portfolio — this is evaluated separately from (and often more heavily weighted than) the general UC Application for creative-arts majors.
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Meet the 83 TOEFL / 7.0 IELTS undergraduate minimum with margin — competitive international admits typically score 100+ TOEFL or 7.5+ IELTS, well above the floor.
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For Anderson MBA: build a clear narrative around West Coast industries — entertainment, media, tech, and venture capital recruiters are core to Anderson's identity, and applications that speak directly to these industries stand out.
Prepare for TOEFL with Gabble — UCLA requires TOEFL 83 minimum for undergrad; competitive applications need 100+. Or prepare for IELTS for the 7.0 minimum and 7.5+ competitive equivalent.