University of California-Irvine acceptance rate & admissions

University of California-Irvine admits 29% of applicants, about 1 in 4. For Fall 2023, 30,962 of 121,101 applicants were admitted and 6,796 enrolled. The school does not consider SAT or ACT scores (test-blind). Students admitted for Fall 2026 had a middle-50% weighted GPA 4.06–4.27.

Check your chances at University of California-Irvine → Compare your GPA and scores with these ranges, and with other colleges.

Acceptance rate
29%

More selective than 88% of California colleges we cover. U.S. median 77%.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

Test scores
Not considered

Share of students sending scores not reported.

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

Admitted students who enroll
22%

Called “yield.” A high yield means many admitted students choose University of California-Irvine over other offers.

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

Applicants, admits and enrollment

Applied121,101
Admitted30,962
Enrolled6,796

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class (first-time, degree-seeking undergraduates). Newer counts arrive with the next IPEDS release.

GPA and test scores of admitted students

The middle 50% of students University of California-Irvine admitted. A quarter of admitted students were below the lower number and a quarter above the upper one. GPAs are weighted, as the source defines them.

Admitted forGPASATACTCLT
Fall 20264.06–4.27———

University of California Office of the President (UC Admissions), First-year admit data, fall 2026 (one page per campus). UC GPA (A-G courses, grades 10-11, honors points capped); 126,005 applicants, 38,165 admits; UC does not consider SAT/ACT Federal ranges below describe enrolled students; use the admitted ranges to judge your chances.

University of California-Irvine admissions year over year

Entering classAcceptanceSAT readingSAT mathACTSource
Fall 202429%———College Scorecard
Fall 202326%———IPEDS

Score ranges are the 25th–75th percentiles. Each year is kept as published; we add a year with every federal release.

How selective is University of California-Irvine compared with other California colleges?

University of California-Irvine has the 12th-lowest acceptance rate of 92 California colleges we cover. Schools around it:

RankCollegeAcceptanceGraduationAvg. net price
8Harvey Mudd College13%92%$35,924
9Northeastern University Oakland17%—$25,181
10Pitzer College25%83%$34,191
11University of California-San Diego27%86%$12,470
12University of California-Irvine29%87%$14,251
13California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo31%86%$16,665
14California Institute of the Arts32%67%$46,080
15University of California-Santa Barbara33%83%$16,109
16Hope International University33%49%$29,310

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class. All California colleges →

Who enrolls at University of California-Irvine

First-year students who return for year two94%
First-year students from California77%
Pell Grant recipients36%
First-generation students44%
Women / men56% / 44%
International students12%

College Scorecard; IPEDS

University of California-Irvine admissions questions

What is the University of California-Irvine acceptance rate?

University of California-Irvine accepts 29% of applicants, about 1 in 4. For the Fall 2023 entering class, 30,962 of 121,101 applicants were admitted.

Does University of California-Irvine require the SAT or ACT?

University of California-Irvine does not consider SAT or ACT scores (test-blind), according to its federal admissions report for Fall 2023.

What GPA and SAT score do you need for University of California-Irvine?

The middle 50% of students admitted to University of California-Irvine for Fall 2026 had a weighted GPA of 4.06–4.27 (First-year admit data, fall 2026 (one page per campus)). Below the lower number on any measure makes University of California-Irvine a reach; at or above the upper number on every measure makes it likely.

How many admitted students enroll at University of California-Irvine?

22% of admitted students enrolled in Fall 2023 (6,796 of 30,962).

Is University of California-Irvine getting harder to get into?

University of California-Irvine accepted 29% of applicants for Fall 2024, compared with 26% for Fall 2023.

Is University of California-Irvine the right fit for your family?

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS Admissions; years shown with each figure. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Back to University of California-Irvine overview