UCLA acceptance rate Class of 2030: a record applicant pool leans toward a lower admit rate

UCLA has not released its acceptance rate for the Class of 2030. As of June 2026, the only public figure is application volume: UCLA received nearly 147,000 first-year applicants for the fall of 2026 — the most of any university in the U.S.

The most recent complete cycle data is for the Class of 2029, when UCLA admitted 13,659 students from a pool of 145,086, for an overall acceptance rate of 9.41%.

Two things set UCLA apart from other selective schools. It has no Early Action or Early Decision (ED), so every first-year student applies in a single November window. And it is test-blind: SAT and ACT scores are not considered in admissions at all. UCLA weighs the rigor of your coursework, your GPA, and your Personal Insight Questions (PIQ) above everything else.

Sources: UCLA Newsroom, UCLA Academic Planning & Budget, and UCLA’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set.

If UCLA is on your list, you want the number: your odds. Here’s the honest version of that answer.

Quick answer: UCLA hasn’t published its Class of 2030 acceptance rate. It received an eye-popping 147,000 applications for the fall 2026 — the most in the country. For the class of 2029, the acceptance rate was 9.41%.

A housekeeping note before comparing the numbers: UCLA publishes its applicant profile, GPA distribution, costs, and what it weighs in review through its Common Data Set. 

Here’s the wrinkle: UCLA's CDS runs a cycle behind the headlines. The 2025-2026 CDS covers students who enrolled in the fall of 2025, which means it describes the Class of 2029 — not 2030.

So the profile data below (GPA, admissions factors, cost, aid) comes from UCLA’s most recent CDS, the enrolled Class of 2029. We label it throughout.

One more thing worth flagging. UCLA is part of the University of California system (along with heavyweights like UC Berkeley), so the rules that govern other selective schools don’t apply here. No early rounds. No test scores. No recommendation letters. We get into what that means below.

If you’re budgeting your application, internalize these two facts first.

As mentioned, UCLA does not offer Early Action or Early Decision. Every first-year applicant uses the single UC application, which opens August 1 and must be submitted between November 1 and November 30.

Everyone lands in the same pool and hears back in the same March window. There’s no early lever to pull, no binding commitment that lifts your odds, no demonstrated-interest game to play.

UCLA is also test-blind. The entire UC system stopped using SAT and ACT scores for admissions in 2021, and the policy has stuck. If you submit scores, UCLA won’t even look at them.

Scores still matter after you enroll for things like course placement and a handful of outside scholarships, so don’t shred them. They just don’t play a role in admissions decisions.

The takeaway is clear: at UCLA, your transcript and your writing carry the weight that test scores carry elsewhere.

For the bigger picture on testing across selective schools, including those moving in the opposite direction from UCLA, check out our article: SAT/ACT now required. Is the era of test-optional admissions over?

UCLA’s admit rate has compressed over the past decade as applications climbed. The recent uptick (8.57% for the Class of 2026 up to 9.41% for the Class of 2029) is not UCLA softening. Applications dipped slightly from their 2026 peak, while acceptance rates have held fairly steady.

Take a step back, and the trend is unmistakable. Six years ago, UCLA admitted 1 in 6 applicants. Today, it sits below 1 in 10. UCLA is admitting fewer students than it did in 2020, even as it receives 50,000 more applications. The squeeze is coming from both sides.

Read this section closely if you live outside of California.

Under UC system enrollment plans, UCLA has been directed to grow its share of California residents, in part by trimming the proportion of out-of-state and international students. For the most recent cycle, the admit rate for California ran far higher than the overall rate.

What this means for you depends on your address. If you’re a California resident, the trend is a tailwind. If you’re applying from out of state or abroad, understand you are competing for a deliberately limited class share. 

See also: How to get into UCLA

We only have the full profile for UCLA’s enrolled students for the Class of 2029. So that’s what we’ll go with to determine how you stack up.

With test scores actually off the table, your transcript holds a lot of weight. UCLA reports a high GPA for enrolled students — and the distribution is steep.

For the enrolled Class of 2029, the average unweighted GPA was 3.96, and the average weighted GPA was 4.51.

Rub your eyes and read the top of the table again. 59% of enrolled students earned a perfect 4.0, and 93% came in at 3.75 or higher. A near-perfect academic transcript is the norm at UCLA.

Also, while the GPA bar is brutal, don’t assume clearing it gets you in. When most of the pool has a 4.0, what separates admits from maybes is course rigor. How many Honors, AP, IB, and UC-required A-G courses did you take?

You won’t find an SAT or ACT range for UCLA. It doesn’t report a meaningful profile score because it neither collects nor uses scores.

If a third-party site shows you a UCLA “SAT range,” close the tab. It’s either stale data before 2021 or self-reported noise.

This section deserves the closest read. It’s lifted straight from UCLA’s Common Data Set.

A few things stand out.

Only three factors are weighted as “very important”: course difficulty, GPA, and essays. UCLA’s application essays consist of four “Personal Insight Questions,” each with a 350-word cap. Those 1,400 words are the only time your voice enters the application — use the space wisely.

See one Empowerly student’s journey to UCLA

UCLA’s “not considered” is longer than most schools. Not only does it include test scores, but also recommendations and class rank, which other highly selective schools commonly consider.

UCLA’s cost hinges heavily on one variable: whether you’re a California resident. Nonresident supplemental tuition is the single biggest line item.

UCLA’s full student budget runs somewhat higher once UC health insurance (waivable with proof of comparable coverage) and all campus-based fees are added.

Here’s what changes the math for many families:

• Through the UC Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan California residents with a family income below $80,000 have their entire tuition covered.
• California families earning up to $100,000 usually receive enough aid to cover tuition.
• Once you enroll, your tuition is locked in for up to six years.
• UCLA enrolls more Pell Grant recipients than the entire Ivy League combined.

Out-of-state and international families should plan for a higher figure. UC aid for nonresidents is far more limited and doesn’t include the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan.

Use UCLA's net price calculator for your own estimate.

UCLA received an eye-popping 147,000 first-year applications for fall 2026. While it hasn’t released its official numbers yet, we know it admitted 9.41% last year. UCLA’s acceptance rate has hovered between 8% and 10% over its past three admissions cycles.

No. As part of the UC system, UCLA uses a single application window. You apply between November 1 and November 30 and receive your decision in March.

No. The UC system has been test-blind since fall 2021. Scores are not considered in admissions and cannot help or hurt you. They may still matter for course placement or certain scholarships after you enroll, but play no role in admission decisions.

There’s no magic number beyond the UC’s minimum eligibility requirements. For context though, the enrolled Class of 2029 averaged a 3.96 unweighted GPA. 

Trying to figure out where you stand among 147,000? Empowerly's counselors help students build the transcript and the Personal Insight Questions that UCLA actually rewards. Book a consultation to map your strategy.