University of California-Santa Cruz Admission Requirements and Statistics

71,722

Applicants

47,186

Accepted

4,383

Enrolled

65.79%

Acceptance Rate
[updated for 2024-2025 admission data]

How hard is UC Santa Cruz to get into?

This page provides the latest information on University of California-Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz)'s admission process, acceptance rate, and student profile. UC Santa Cruz's acceptance rate is 65.79% for 2024-2025 admission. A total of 71,722 students applied and 47,186 were admitted to the school. Its acceptance rate is relatively high, making it somewhat easy to get into UC Santa Cruz.

To apply to UC Santa Cruz, it is required to submit high school GPA and record. The SAT and ACT score is not considered for admission at University of California-Santa Cruz.

Admission Statistics

For the academic year 2024-25, UC Santa Cruz's acceptance rate is 65.79% and the yield (also known as enrollment rate) is 9.29%. 31,765 men and 39,957 women applied to UC Santa Cruz and 19,903 men and 27,283 women students were accepted.

Among them, 1,979 men and 2,404 women were enrolled in UC Santa Cruz. You can explore the UC Santa Cruz's admission rates and SAT score trends over the past decade, including year-by-year data and analysis, by visiting Admission Trends page.

Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics at UC Santa Cruz
TotalMenWomenAnother GenderGender Unknown
Applicants71,72231,76539,95700
Admitted47,18619,90327,28300
Enrolled4,3831,9792,40400
Acceptance Rate 65.79%62.66%68.28%--
Yield 9.29%9.94%8.81%--

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

University of California-Santa Cruz 2025 Acceptance Rate By Gender chart

First-year Enrollment by Gender and Enrolled Type

For the academic year 2024-25, total 4,383 first-year students enrolled in UC Santa Cruz. The proportion of full-time students is 99.77% and part-time students is 0.23%.

By gender, the proportion of men students is 45.15% and women students is 54.85%.

The following table shows the first-year students by gender and enrolled type at UC Santa Cruz.

First-Year Students by Gender and Enrolled Type at UC Santa Cruz
TotalMenWomenAnother GenderGender Unknown
Total4,3831,9792,40400
Full-time4,3731,9752,39800
Part-time104600

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Application Requirements

It requires to submit High School GPA, High School Record (or Transcript), Completion of College Preparatory Program, and English Proficiency Test to its applicants.

The SAT and ACT test score is not considered in admission process at UC Santa Cruz. The english proficiency test is required .

The next table summarizes the application requirements to apply University of California-Santa Cruz.

For more admission information such as minimum GPA and deadlines, see its online application page .

UC Santa Cruz Admission Requirements
High School GPARequired
High School RankNot Considered
High School Record (or Transcript)Required
Completion of College Preparatory ProgramRequired
RecommendationsNot Considered
Formal Demonstration of CompetenciesNot Considered
SAT / ACTNot Considered
English Proficiency TestRequired
Other Test (Wonderlic,WISC-III,etc)Not Considered
Work experienceNot Considered
Personal statement or essayNot Considered
Legacy statusNot Considered

General Admissions Information

The following provides general admission information for applying to UC Santa Cruz:

  • Open Admission Policy: No
  • Undergraduate Application Fees: -
  • Graduate Application Fees: -
  • Admission Information: admissions.ucsc.edu/
  • Online Application: admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply-now.html
  • Calendar System: Quarter
  • Course for High School Students: Not Offered
  • Credits Accepted: Advanced placement (AP) Credits
  • Degree Offered: Bachelor, Master, Doctoral (Research)

UC Santa Cruz Admission Frequently Asked Questions

UC Santa Cruz is relatively easy to get into, with an acceptance rate of 65.79%.
UC Santa Cruz does not require or recommend SAT or ACT scores for admission. However, some programs may have different requirements.
UC Santa Cruz does not require or recommend a personal essay or statement for admission. However, they may be required for certain programs or scholarships.
UC Santa Cruz does not require or recommend a recommendation letter for admission. However, it may be required for certain programs or scholarships.
UC Santa Cruz does not require an application fee for undergraduate or graduate admission.
Yes, UC Santa Cruz requires applicants to submit high school GPA, high school record or transcript as part of the admission process.
Yes, UC Santa Cruz requires international applicants to submit an English proficiency test (like TOEFL or IELTS) as part of the application.
The institutional SAT code for UC Santa Cruz is 4860 and 4-digit ACT code is 0460.

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