More selective than 88% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $38,632. College Scorecard.
Higher than 89% of California colleges we cover and 94% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 82% of California colleges we cover and 93% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of California-Irvine acceptance rate & admissions
Of 121,101 applicants, University of California-Irvine admitted 30,962 and 6,796 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of California-Irvine tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for California residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. At University of California and California State University campuses, the Middle Class Scholarship can also help families with income and assets up to $250,000 (2026-27, dependent students). Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
University of California-Irvine majors, earnings & careers
University of California-Irvine offers 72 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 17
- Humanities & Languages · 14
- Engineering · 11
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Arts & Design · 6
- Technology & Computing · 6
- Business & Finance · 4
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Education · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at University of California-Irvine
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $132,357 | $19,233 |
| Computer Science | $127,404 | $15,500 |
| Nursing | $119,502 | $13,400 |
| Management Information Systems | $108,038 | $16,500 |
| Electrical Engineering | $106,871 | $19,000 |
| Materials Engineering | $106,547 | $9,987 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $100,537 | $18,950 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $99,111 | $14,500 |
Quick list of all 72 majors
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$100,537
- Anthropology$50,850
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$56,273
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology—
- Biomedical Engineering$96,874
- Botany / Plant Biology—
- Business Administration$80,755
- Business Economics$77,807
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences—
- Chemical Engineering$97,656
- Chemistry$74,810
- Civil Engineering$96,354
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Classics—
- Cognitive Science—
- Computer and Information Sciences$96,347
- Computer Engineering$132,357
- Computer Programming—
- Computer Science$127,404
- Criminology$57,935
- Dance$40,466
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$83,937
- Education$54,356
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering$106,871
- Engineering—
- English$54,299
- Environmental Design—
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$59,908
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$47,471
- Film and Photography$51,423
- Genetics—
- Geology / Earth Science$70,820
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History$53,481
- Human Biology—
- Information Science / Studies—
- International / Global Studies$57,116
- Journalism$57,492
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems$108,038
- Materials Engineering$106,547
- Mathematics$77,472
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Mechanical Engineering$99,111
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$60,242
- Music$43,120
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$119,502
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$61,034
- Philosophy—
- Physics$96,215
- Physiology—
- Political Science$63,318
- Psychology$56,380
- Psychology (Research)$54,323
- Public Health$60,430
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences—
- Sociology$56,457
- Software and Media Applications$69,981
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$55,360
- Studio Art$39,010
- Theatre$40,773
- Urban Studies / Affairs$63,819
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Computer Science → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Public Health → Health education specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Los Angeles
Overall prices in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $3,057. Housing costs 70% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 11 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: wildfire (relatively high); river flooding (very high); coastal flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Orange County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Orange County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of California-Irvine with similar schools
Similar public colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Irvine | 29% | $14,251 | 87% | $80,735 | This school |
| University of California-San Diego | 27% | $12,470 | 86% | $84,943 | |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | 31% | $16,665 | 86% | $90,768 | |
| University of California-Santa Barbara | 33% | $16,109 | 83% | $74,915 | |
| University of California-Davis | 42% | $14,741 | 86% | $80,838 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of California-Irvine would cost you $1,781 more per year than University of California-San Diego, on average.
- Lower sticker price at University of California-Irvine, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$1,036).
- University of California-San Diego gives aided families $1,850 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | University of California-Irvine | University of California-San Diego | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $15,722 | $16,758 | −$1,036 |
| Books & supplies | $1,550 | $1,307 | +$243 |
| Housing & meals | $18,423 | $17,198 | +$1,225 |
| Personal & travel | $4,841 | $4,735 | +$106 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,904 | −$1,297 | −$607 |
| Sticker price | $38,632 | $38,701 | −$69 |
| Average grants | −$24,381 | −$26,231 | +$1,850 |
| You pay | $14,251 | $12,470 | +$1,781 |
“+” means University of California-Irvine costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about University of California-Irvine
What is the University of California-Irvine acceptance rate?
University of California-Irvine accepts 29% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 30,962 of 121,101 applicants were admitted.
How much does University of California-Irvine cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $38,632 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $14,251 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $8,123 and families earning $110k+ pay $30,546.
How much do University of California-Irvine graduates earn?
Former University of California-Irvine students earn a median $80,735 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of California-Irvine graduation rate?
87% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 94% return for their second year.
Is University of California-Irvine the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of California-Irvine: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-california-irvine (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).