UC Acceptance Rates 2026:
What Fall 2027 Applicants Need to Know

Transfer applicants generally had better odds than first-year applicants, including Berkeley, UCLA, San Diego, Davis, and Santa Barbara. However, transfer admission was still highly competitive at Berkeley and UCLA, where only about one in five applicants was admitted. The transfer pathway can improve a student’s options, but it is not an easy back door into the most selective campuses.

For students applying for Fall 2027, the recent admission data supports one clear strategy: build your UC list across several levels of selectivity. A list made up only of Berkeley, UCLA, Irvine, and San Diego remains highly unpredictable. Adding campuses such as Davis, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Riverside, or Merced can create more realistic paths to admission, provided they are campuses are a good fit for the student.

Using data for both years, first-year applications were essentially flat across the UC system, while the UC issued approximately 2.6% more first-year admission offers. The systemwide first-year admit rate consequently increased from 72.8% to 74.6%.

The campus-level changes were much larger:

• Berkeley and San Diego became more selective. Applications increased while both campuses issued slightly fewer first-year offers.

• Davis, Irvine, and Riverside admitted modestly more students.

• UCLA and Santa Barbara substantially increased their offers.

• Santa Cruz experienced the largest shift. First-year applications increased by about 19%, but admission offers grew by about 35%, raising its first-year admit rate from 72.9% to 82.3%.

• Merced remained largely unchanged and continued to offer the broadest access in the system.

This shows why more applications do not automatically lead to a lower admit rate. Campuses may adjust the number of offers according to available capacity, enrollment goals, and the percentage of admitted students they expect to enroll (aka yield rate).

However, a campus that became more accessible this year could move in the opposite direction next year. Applicants should use the latest data to understand general levels of selectivity, and not assume that a one-year trend will continue. For a detailed comparison with the prior cycle, see the article UC Acceptance Rates 2025: A Campus-by-Campus Breakdown.

A campuswide first-year admit rate can conceal large differences among California residents, domestic applicants from outside California, and international applicants. The table shows the calculated first-year admit rate for each residency group. 

California students should distinguish between being competitive for the UC system and being competitive for a particular campus and major. A student can be well-qualified for admission somewhere in the UC system while still facing long odds at several of its most selective campuses.

UC Berkeley: 10.5% First-Year Admit Rate
UCB admitted 13,967 of 133,128 first-year applicants, lowering its first-year admit rate from 11.4% to 10.5%. Applications increased by about 5%, while Berkeley issued about 3% fewer admission offers.

What this means
Berkeley remains a high reach regardless of academic strength. International applicants faced especially long odds, with a 5.4% first-year admit rate. Its 20.0% transfer admit rate was higher than its first-year rate but still highly selective.

UC Davis: 45.8% First-Year Admit Rate
UCD admitted 48,015 of 104,850 first-year applicants, raising its first-year admit rate from 44.6% to 45.8%. The campus issued about 4.5% more offers while applications increased by less than 2%.

What this means
Davis is more accessible than Berkeley, UCLA, Irvine, or San Diego, but it should not be considered a safety. California applicants faced a lower 34.7% first-year admit rate, meaning nearly two-thirds were not admitted.

UC Irvine: 30.3% First-Year Admit Rate
UCI admitted 38,165 of 125,987 first-year applicants. Its first-year admit rate increased from 28.7% to 30.3% because admission offers grew faster than applications.

What this means
Irvine became slightly more accessible, but seven out of ten applicants were still denied. The California resident first-year admit rate was lower at 22.7%, so Irvine should be considered a reach school, especially for high-demand programs.

UCLA: 10.8% First-Year Admit Rate
UCLA received 146,672 first-year applications, more than any other UC campus, and admitted 15,903 students. Its first-year admit rate increased from 9.4% to 10.8% after UCLA issued about 16% more offers.

What this means
UCLA was slightly less selective than last year, but it remains a reach for every applicant. Nearly 89% of first-year applicants were not admitted, including more than nine out of ten international applicants.

UC Merced: 96.5% First-Year Admit Rate
UCM admitted 46,812 of 48,499 first-year applicants, producing the highest first-year admit rate in the UC system. Its offer total was almost unchanged, while applications increased slightly.

What this means
Merced provides the broadest access to a UC education, with a 99.1% preliminary California resident first-year admit rate. UC Merced is the UC’s newest campus with expanding programs, research opportunities, and facilities.

UC Riverside: 88.5% First-Year Admit Rate
UCR admitted 63,958 of 72,295 first-year applicants. Its first-year admit rate rose slightly from 87.4% to 88.5%, with offers increasing somewhat faster than applications.

What this means
Riverside can add valuable balance to a UC list. It also admitted more California first-year students than any other campus and particularly high proportions of first-generation and low-income students. 

UC San Diego: 27.2% First-Year Admit Rate
UCSD admitted 38,571 of 141,752 first-year applicants, lowering its first-year admit rate from 28.4% to 27.2%. Applications increased by about 3.7%, while the campus issued slightly fewer offers.

What this means
San Diego is not as selective as Berkeley or UCLA, but nearly three-quarters of first-year applicants were denied. For most students, it should be treated as a reach rather than a target.

UC Santa Barbara: 44.0% First-Year Admit Rate
UCSB admitted 47,716 of 108,503 first-year applicants, raising its first-year admit rate from 38.3% to 44.0%. Applications declined slightly, while the campus increased admission offers by more than 13%.

What this means
Santa Barbara became noticeably more accessible, but almost two-thirds of California resident applicants were still denied. Do not assume that the large increase will repeat next year; campuses adjust offers based on changing enrollment needs.

UC Santa Cruz: 82.3% First-Year Admit Rate
UCSC produced the most surprising result of the cycle. First-year applications increased by about 19%, but admission offers grew by approximately 35%, raising the first-year admit rate from 72.9% to 82.3%.

What this means
Santa Cruz can provide valuable balance between the most selective campuses and the UC system’s broadest-access options. Still, thousands of applicants were not admitted, and the campuswide figure may not reflect competition in every program.

1. Apply Across Several Levels of Selectivity

A student who applies only to Berkeley, UCLA, and San Diego is applying to campuses with first-year admit rates between approximately 10% and 27%. Adding Davis, Irvine, or Santa Barbara broadens the range. Santa Cruz, Riverside, and Merced can make the UC portion of the list substantially more balanced.

Apply only to campuses you would genuinely consider attending, but do not build a list that depends almost entirely on a few highly unpredictable decisions.

2. Treat Berkeley, UCLA, Irvine, and San Diego as Reaches

Berkeley and UCLA are reaches for every applicant. Irvine and San Diego are more accessible, but both denied about 70% or more of first-year applicants. A student can be academically qualified and still not receive an offer because there are more strong applicants than available spaces.

3. Use Residency-Specific Admit Rates Carefully

California resident, domestic nonresident, and international applicants often experienced very different campus-level first-year admit rates. Use the column that matches your residency as context, but do not treat it as a personalized probability. Your grades, course rigor, intended major, school context, activities, responsibilities, and Personal Insight Questions all affect how your application is evaluated. 

4. Remember That Campuswide Rates May Hide Major-Level Competition

The UC's published preliminary tables do not provide admit rates by major. A campus with a 45% overall first-year admit rate may be considerably more selective for certain programs. Research whether you apply directly to a major, college, or restricted program, and whether changing into that program later would be difficult.

Some UC programs also require portfolios, auditions, questionnaires, or other materials beyond the standard application. Review the article UC Supplements That Catch Students Off Guard before choosing your campuses and majors.

5. Build a College List Beyond the UC System

Even a balanced UC list is not a complete college list. Students should also consider California State Universities (CSU), private colleges, out-of-state universities, and community college transfer pathways. Applying to all nine UC campuses does not provide the same diversification as applying across different university systems.

The Fall 2026 acceptance data make one thing clear: your UC strategy should begin with the individual campuses, not with the system as a whole. Each campus offers a different combination of academic strengths, location, size, culture, support, and opportunities. Those differences matter just as much as the admit rate.

Use the numbers to understand how competitive each campus may be, but keep them in perspective. A campuswide rate cannot capture the selectivity of your major, the context of your high school, the rigor of your courses, your activities, your responsibilities, or the story you tell through your application and PIQs.

Your college list should reflect both ambition and fit. Every UC campus can offer an exciting college experience, including strong academics, research, internships, student organizations, supportive communities, and access to California’s industries and opportunities. A higher admit rate does not make a campus less interesting, less rigorous, or less valuable.

Look closely at the majors, courses, faculty, campus environment, housing, costs, student support, and career opportunities before deciding where to apply. You may thrive on a large, fast-paced campus, prefer a smaller and more connected community, or discover that a campus you initially overlooked offers exactly the program and environment you want. A thoughtful UC list gives you several possible futures. The strongest outcome is having multiple colleges where you can genuinely imagine yourself learning, contributing, and building a life that fits your goals.

All application counts, admission counts, demographic statistics, and calculated rates in this article are based on official University of California Office of the President (UCOP) data. Fall 2026 figures are preliminary and subject to revision. Fall 2025 comparisons use the corresponding official UCOP preliminary application and admission tables. The Fall 2026 admission figures reflect offers recorded as of June 17, 2026.

Fall 2026 Undergraduate Application Summary Counts

Fall 2026 First-Year and Transfer Admissions Fact Sheet

Fall 2025 Undergraduate Application Summary Counts

Fall 2025 Undergraduate Admit Summary Counts

The UC Tuition and Cost of Attendance