UCLA History

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1919 as the Southern Branch of the University of California and became the University of California, Los Angeles in 1927. UCLA is home to about 31,500 undergraduate and 12,800 graduate students.

Today, UCLA is one of the top public universities in the United States and is widely recognized for its academic excellence and research contributions. UCLA offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in various fields, including business, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and life sciences. There are 2,879 instructional faculty teaching 4,132 courses in more than 138 undergraduate majors.

What UCLA is known for?

UCLA is known for its prestigious School of Theater, Film, and Television and School of Dentistry. UCLA’s undergraduate courses are offered by seven distinguished professional schools:

• The Herb Alpert School of Music
• The Luskin School of Public Affairs
• The Samueli School of Engineering
• School of Education & Information Studies
• School of Nursing
• School of the Arts and Architecture
• School of Theater, Film, and Television

UCLA's theater program attracts students with the chance to learn from industry experts in avant-garde video, ancient theater, and film production. Graduates have won prestigious awards like the Academy Award, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony. UCLA's nationally-ranked athletic teams, part of the NCAA Division 1 Pacific 12 Conference, compete against the top universities in the country.

UCLA Rankings

UCLA Rankings U.S. News & World Report ranked UCLA #20 in their Best Colleges 2022 edition. UCLA ranked #40 in the 2022 QS World University Rankings.

Notable UCLA Rankings

#20 in National Universities

#1 in Top Public Schools

#5 in Best Colleges for Veterans

#21 in Top Performers on Social Mobility (tie)

#15 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (tie)

#12 in Electrical / Electronic / Communications

#10 in Biocomputing/Bioinformatics/Biotechnology (tie)

#12 in Data Analytics/Science (tie)

#12 in Software Engineering (tie)

#10 in Nursing (tie)

#29 in Most Innovative Schools (tie)

What are the top majors at UCLA?

The top majors at UCLA are Political Science, Biology, Psychology, Business Economics, and Sociology.

UCLA: How hard it is to crack UCLA?

UCLA is one of the most difficult colleges to crack. And, in the last 10 years, the number of applications has increased from 80,000 to 1,50,000 applications, almost double therefore it is very hard to get into UCLA but not impossible. As UCs are doesn’t require SAT scores, it is important to score high in APs (Advance Placement exams) with an overall high GPA in high school to showcase academic rigor. But, for showcasing other skills like critical thinking, creativity, leadership qualities, complex problem solving, and many more through extra-curricular activities and unique projects. And, then submitting a strong application with great narratives get you into UCLA.

UCLA Acceptance Rates: How hard is it to get in? (All Data of Fall 2022)

Number of Students Applied – 149,815

Number of students Admitted – 12,844

Number of Students Enrolled – 6,462

UCLA Acceptance Rate – 9%

UCLA Yield Rate – 50%

Percentage of International Students – 7.03%

Let’s see the data for UCLA Transfer Students separately

Number of Transfer Students Applied – 25,099

Number of Transfer Students Admitted – 6,130

Number of Transfer Students Enrolled – 3,647

UCLA Acceptance Rate for Transfer Students – 24%

UCLA Transfer Student Yield – 59%

What is the UCLA GPA requirement for seeking admissions?

For UCLA Admission Requirements – An average GPA of 4.4 is needed.

(Freshmen's GPA is calculated taking into account a 5-point scale for AP courses. Transfer GPA is based on a 4-point scale)

UCLA Transfer Student Requirements - The average GPA for transfer students should be above 3.5 and have completed most or all major preparatory courses.

UCLA Average Test Scores

The University of California (UC) system, including UCLA, has adopted a policy that eliminates the requirement for submitting SAT or ACT scores for admissions and scholarships. Instead, these scores may be used as an option to fulfill minimum eligibility requirements or for course placement after enrolment. This policy aims to promote greater equity and accessibility in the admissions process and to reduce the impact of standardized testing on students' educational opportunities.

UCLA Admission Requirements

You need to fill out a UC application to apply to UCLA. It is a universal application for all the University of California schools so it is better to mention more than one UC school so that getting admission to the UC system becomes easy. UCLA might be your first choice but the UC system provides you world-class education so other schools are also very good options to consider.

How did UCLA Admission Committee evaluate admission applications?

The University of California uses a system called 13-Factor Comprehensive Review System. It was first implemented by UC in 2001 as a way to evaluate applicants in a more holistic manner. Rather than relying solely on academic metrics like GPA and standardized test scores, the comprehensive review system takes into account a wide range of factors that may influence an applicant's potential for success at UC.

Using the admission review process, we prioritize successful applicants who showcase intellectual curiosity, leadership skills, initiative, and perseverance. These are the qualities that would make the greatest contribution to the vibrant UCLA learning community. While academic performance, including grades and curriculum, is an important factor in evaluating academic achievement, it is only one part of the overall picture. Therefore, we take into account a wide range of criteria in our comprehensive evaluation of students for admission.     

The list of criteria that the admission committee use for the review process. You can find Comprehensive Review System here.

• The full record of high school academics
• Personal Qualities
• Extracurricular and Co-Curricular Activities
• Special talents, achievements, and awards in a particular field
• Completion of Unique Projects with respect to high school context or other competitions
• Opportunities
• Challenges

Did you know UAH can help you get into Ivy League Schools and UCs? Find out more about our Undergraduate Admission Counselling to see how we can help you to prepare a strong profile through unique projects and activities needed to gain admission to your dream UK or US University! Check out our results page to find out about our successful UAH students.

UCLA Application Deadlines

UCLA Recreation

UCLA campus affords access to world-class facilities and organized activities recreation, both on and off campus. The Club Sports program consists of more than 50 clubs and over 2,800 participants. And, 87% engaged in some form of physical exercise or recreational sport; 39% exercised more than 5 hours each week

Is UCLA College the right choice for you?

Deciding whether or not UCLA is the right choice for a student depends on a variety of factors, including the student's academic goals, interests, and personal preferences.

As one of the top public universities in the United States, UCLA offers a world-class education across a broad range of fields, from the arts and humanities to science and engineering. The campus is located in the heart of Los Angeles, providing students with access to a diverse and vibrant city and a wealth of cultural opportunities. Additionally, UCLA is home to a thriving research community, offering students numerous opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research alongside renowned faculty.

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