More selective than 46% 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 $38,942. College Scorecard.
Higher than 72% of California colleges we cover and 86% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 61% of California colleges we cover and 83% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of California-Riverside acceptance rate & admissions
Of 62,807 applicants, University of California-Riverside admitted 39,758 and 5,521 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-Riverside 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-Riverside majors, earnings & careers
University of California-Riverside offers 60 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 16
- Science & Math · 15
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Engineering · 8
- Arts & Design · 5
- Business & Finance · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Education · 1
Highest-earning majors at University of California-Riverside
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $117,705 | $19,083 |
| Computer Engineering | $107,193 | $25,083 |
| Electrical Engineering | $102,630 | $19,954 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $93,721 | $21,000 |
| Chemical Engineering | $91,457 | $17,413 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $90,041 | $19,877 |
| Environmental Engineering | $84,300 | $18,068 |
| Statistics | $78,492 | $21,488 |
Quick list of all 60 majors
- Anthropology$45,821
- Area Studies$39,039
- Biochemistry$59,549
- Biology$58,339
- Biomedical Engineering$90,041
- Botany / Plant Biology—
- Business Administration$72,027
- Business Economics$64,147
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$65,813
- Chemical Engineering$91,457
- Chemistry$64,131
- Classics—
- Computer Engineering$107,193
- Computer Science$117,705
- Dance$45,804
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics$66,682
- Electrical Engineering$102,630
- Engineering—
- English$50,712
- Environmental Engineering$84,300
- Environmental Science / Conservation$64,944
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$56,555
- Film and Photography$52,699
- Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other—
- Geology / Earth Science$59,677
- History$51,913
- Information Science / Studies—
- International / Global Studies$57,959
- International Relations$56,108
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$62,211
- Linguistics$46,306
- Materials Engineering—
- Mathematics$63,596
- Mechanical Engineering$93,721
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$72,295
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$54,090
- Music—
- Neuroscience$51,865
- Philosophy$51,402
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics$74,410
- Political Science$56,740
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Research)$49,947
- Psychology, Other—
- Public Administration—
- Public Policy Analysis$58,504
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education$57,847
- Social Sciences, Other$55,087
- Sociology$55,682
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$42,692
- Statistics$78,492
- Studio Art$40,774
- Sustainability Studies$58,463
- Theatre—
- Writing$35,583
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— 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 →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Riverside
Overall prices in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,103. Housing costs 29% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 10 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: wildfire (very high); river flooding (very high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Riverside County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Riverside County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of California-Riverside 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-Riverside | 76% | $14,304 | 76% | $67,699 | This school |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | 75% | $11,531 | 68% | $71,902 | |
| University of California-Santa Cruz | 66% | $17,890 | 75% | $68,396 | |
| San Jose State University | 85% | $13,760 | 69% | $78,988 | |
| California State University-Fresno | 95% | $7,000 | 57% | $61,244 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of California-Riverside would cost you $2,773 more per year than California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of California-Riverside, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$7,826).
- University of California-Riverside gives aided families $12,214 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | University of California-Riverside | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $15,606 | $7,780 | +$7,826 |
| Books & supplies | $1,748 | $995 | +$753 |
| Housing & meals | $19,433 | $16,330 | +$3,103 |
| Personal & travel | $4,934 | $4,041 | +$893 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,779 | −$5,191 | +$2,412 |
| Sticker price | $38,942 | $23,955 | +$14,987 |
| Average grants | −$24,638 | −$12,424 | −$12,214 |
| You pay | $14,304 | $11,531 | +$2,773 |
“+” means University of California-Riverside 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-Riverside
What is the University of California-Riverside acceptance rate?
University of California-Riverside accepts 76% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 39,758 of 62,807 applicants were admitted.
How much does University of California-Riverside cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $38,942 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $14,304 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $8,852 and families earning $110k+ pay $30,393.
How much do University of California-Riverside graduates earn?
Former University of California-Riverside students earn a median $67,699 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-Riverside graduation rate?
76% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 88% return for their second year.
Is University of California-Riverside 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-Riverside: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-california-riverside (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).