Ask a California family which UC their student will attend and the answer often depends on where they live. UC’s own admissions data for fall 2025 shows a strong pull toward the campus closest to home, with two exceptions: UCLA and Berkeley are equally hard to get into from everywhere, and UC Riverside has quietly become the single most common destination in the state.
Top destinations by region, fall 2025
| Region | UC applicants | Admitted to any UC | Most common campus | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | 36,337 | 76% | Riverside (21%) | UCLA (18%) | San Diego (13%) |
| Bay Area | 32,534 | 79% | Berkeley (18%) | Davis (17%) | Santa Cruz (17%) |
| Orange County | 12,794 | 76% | Irvine (25%) | Riverside (18%) | San Diego (17%) |
| Inland Empire | 12,723 | 80% | Riverside (46%) | San Diego (15%) | Irvine (14%) |
| San Diego County | 11,426 | 73% | San Diego (30%) | Irvine (12%) | Santa Cruz (11%) |
| Central Valley | 9,197 | 83% | Merced (28%) | Davis (21%) | Irvine (13%) |
| Sacramento area | 6,338 | 76% | Davis (37%) | Santa Cruz (13%) | San Diego (10%) |
| All of California | 129,699 | 77% | Riverside (16%) | San Diego (14%) | Davis (13%) |
The home-campus pull
In most regions, the nearest UC is the top choice. Almost half (46%) of Inland Empire students who enrolled at a UC went to UC Riverside. In the Sacramento area, 37% went to UC Davis; in the Central Valley, 28% went to UC Merced; in Orange County, 25% went to UC Irvine.
The pull is weaker than it was. In San Diego County, the share going to UC San Diego fell from 50% in 2021 to 30% in 2025, because UCSD became much harder for local applicants. In the Bay Area, Davis’s share fell from 25% to 17%, and Berkeley, Davis and Santa Cruz now split Bay Area students almost evenly.
UCLA and Berkeley: no home-field advantage
UCLA admitted between 9% and 10% of applicants from every region in 2025, including Los Angeles County itself. Berkeley ranged from 11% (Sacramento area) to 16% (Los Angeles County); Bay Area applicants were admitted at 12%, a little below the statewide 13.5%. Living near either campus does not make it easier to get in.
Riverside is now California’s biggest UC destination
Across the state, 16% of California high school students who enrolled at a UC in fall 2025 went to UC Riverside, more than any other campus and up from 13% in 2021. Riverside admitted 87% of California applicants in 2025, compared with 64% in 2021. Riverside is the top choice in Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire, and second in Orange County.
How to use this
- If you are counting on the campus closest to home, check how your own high school has done there recently. In San Diego and Irvine, the local campus got much harder.
- Look beyond your region. Bay Area students have growing success at Irvine and San Diego, and San Diego students at Irvine and Santa Cruz.
- Every region has a high chance of getting into at least one UC (73–83%), as long as the list includes at least one campus that admits most applicants.
- Find your school’s numbers on the UC admissions by high school page, or try the UC chances calculator.
Source: University of California, UC Information Center, admissions by source school, fall 2021 and fall 2025 freshmen from California high schools. UC hides counts of one or two students; we count hidden admissions as one and leave hidden enrollments out, so enrollment figures are slight undercounts. ScoreCalc is independent and not affiliated with the University of California.
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