University of California 2026 Conference Updates

 

 

 

UCLA

Admit rate
11%
Average GPA, unweighted and capped
3.95 / 4.24
  • 146,700 applications, 15,942 admits
  • Waitlist: 19,293 offers, 11,352 opt ins, 1,036 admits
  • Appeals: 1,463 received, 1 admitted
  • Admit rate by school: UCLA College 13%, Music 23%, Engineering 7%, Theater Film and TV 5%, Arts and Architecture 5%, Nursing 1%
  • New majors: Digital Humanities, and an Arts and Architecture BA with Computational Art, Design, and Games

UC Berkeley

Admit rate
10.5%
Middle 50% GPA, unweighted
3.91 to 4.00
  • 133,157 first-year applicants, 13,919 admits
  • Weighted range: 4.36 to 4.73
  • Waitlist: 5,170 opt ins, 411 admits
  • Expected enrollment: 6,477

UC San Diego

Admit rate
27.2%
Middle 50% GPA
4.12 to 4.28
  • 141,700 applications, 38,600 admits
  • Waitlist: 19,400 opt ins, 1,100 admits, roughly 3% of all admits
  • Selective majors: Data Science, Public Health, and every major within Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • UC San Diego advises selecting an alternate major if your first choice appears on that list
  • New for fall 2026: Business Data Science, Clinical Psychology, Experimental Psychology

UC Irvine

Admit rate
30%
Median GPA, weighted and unweighted
4.19 / 3.95
  • 125,987 applications, 38,165 admits
  • Middle 50%: 4.04 to 4.27 weighted, 3.84 to 4.00 unweighted
  • Waitlist: 18,353 offers, 4,616 admits. Appeals: 1,346 received, 8 admitted
  • UC Irvine admits to major. 54% of first-year applicants chose the same ten: Biological Sciences, Business Administration, Nursing Science, Mechanical Engineering, Psychology BS, Undeclared, Computer Science, Political Science, Public Health Sciences, Criminology Law and Society
  • Engineering/Undeclared is no longer offered. Apply directly to Engineering or to Undergraduate/Undeclared
  • New: Merage School of Business 4+1, a bachelor's plus master's in five years with a $10,000 scholarship, open to students in Social Ecology, Humanities, and Physical Sciences. The School of Law 3+3 continues

UC Santa Barbara

Admit rate
44%
UC GPA, weighted and capped
4.15
  • 108,513 applications, 47,715 admits, projected enrollment around 5,125
  • Appeals: 860 received, 9 approved
  • Most applied to majors: Biology, Undeclared, Psychological and Brain Sciences
  • New: Artificial Intelligence BS starting fall 2026, Education and Society BA starting fall 2027
  • A portfolio is required for the Theater BA design emphasis beginning fall 2027
  • Chinese and Japanese majors are discontinued as of fall 2026

UC Davis

Admit rate
45.8%
Middle 50% GPA, unweighted
3.79 to 4.00
  • 104,850 applications, 48,001 admits, enrollment target 6,375
  • Weighted middle 50%: 4.00 to 4.25
  • Waitlist: 17,527 offers, 9,865 opt ins, 2,156 admits
  • Most selective majors: Mechanical Engineering, Design, Psychology, Business, Pre-Landscape Architecture, Animal Science
  • Advice for engineering applicants: strong math and STEM preparation

UC Santa Cruz

Admit rate
82.1%
Average GPA, capped weighted and unweighted
4.0 / 3.7
  • 79,048 applications, 64,879 admits, 4,902 enrolled
  • An honors program is coming soon
  • Sabatte Family Scholarship: a full ride covering the entire cost of attendance, from tuition to room, board, and course materials, for first-year California residents with high merit and financial need

UC Riverside

Admit rate
84%
Waitlist admits
1,502
  • 72,542 applications, 63,875 admits, 6,625 statements of intent to register
  • Appeals: 8
  • Most applied to majors: Biology, Business Analytics, Psychology, Mechanical Engineering, Biochemistry, Cell Molecular and Developmental Biology, Business Economics, Computer Science, Political Science
  • New for fall 2027: Computer Science with Applications, offering Business, Health, and Psychology tracks; Genetics and Molecular Biotechnology; Education, Society and Human Development with a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential

UC Merced

Admit rate
94.9%
GPA range
3.57 to 4.16
  • 49,131 applications, 46,630 admits, estimated enrollment 2,700
  • New in the School of Engineering: Artificial Intelligence BS and Computer Science BS
  • New emphases and specialized pathways within existing majors

Fall 2026 first-year data as presented by each campus at the 2026 UC Counselor Conference. Figures are point-in-time and may be revised by the campuses. Compiled by Balanced College Planning.