University of California-Riverside acceptance rate & admissions

University of California-Riverside admits 76% of applicants, most. For Fall 2023, 39,758 of 62,807 applicants were admitted and 5,521 enrolled. The school does not consider SAT or ACT scores (test-blind). Students admitted for Fall 2026 had a middle-50% weighted GPA 3.66–4.17.

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

Acceptance rate
76%

More selective than 46% 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
14%

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

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

Applicants, admits and enrollment

Applied62,807
Admitted39,758
Enrolled5,521

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-Riverside 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 20263.66–4.17———

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); 72,542 applicants, 63,958 admits; UC does not consider SAT/ACT Federal ranges below describe enrolled students; use the admitted ranges to judge your chances.

University of California-Riverside admissions year over year

Entering classAcceptanceSAT readingSAT mathACTSource
Fall 202476%———College Scorecard
Fall 202363%———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-Riverside compared with other California colleges?

University of California-Riverside has the 50th-lowest acceptance rate of 92 California colleges we cover. Schools around it:

RankCollegeAcceptanceGraduationAvg. net price
46Biola University74%68%$31,495
47Art Center College of Design75%79%$48,661
48California State Polytechnic University-Pomona75%68%$11,531
49California Lutheran University76%70%$30,109
50University of California-Riverside76%76%$14,304
51Southern California Institute of Architecture77%71%$43,923
52Westmont College77%70%$29,053
53John Paul the Great Catholic University80%64%$34,666
54Whittier College81%60%$25,757

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

Who enrolls at University of California-Riverside

First-year students who return for year two88%
First-year students from California95%
Pell Grant recipients47%
First-generation students48%
Women / men53% / 47%
International students4%

College Scorecard; IPEDS

University of California-Riverside admissions questions

What is the University of California-Riverside acceptance rate?

University of California-Riverside accepts 76% of applicants, most. For the Fall 2023 entering class, 39,758 of 62,807 applicants were admitted.

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

University of California-Riverside 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-Riverside?

The middle 50% of students admitted to University of California-Riverside for Fall 2026 had a weighted GPA of 3.66–4.17 (First-year admit data, fall 2026 (one page per campus)). Below the lower number on any measure makes University of California-Riverside a reach; at or above the upper number on every measure makes it likely.

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

14% of admitted students enrolled in Fall 2023 (5,521 of 39,758).

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

University of California-Riverside accepted 76% of applicants for Fall 2024, compared with 63% for Fall 2023.

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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-Riverside overview