In fall 2025, 68% of international freshman applicants were admitted to at least one UC campus, compared with 77% of California residents. International applicants had higher admit rates than Californians at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego. They had lower rates at UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Merced and UC Riverside.
Freshman admit rates for international applicants
| Campus | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2025 applicants | California residents, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any UC campus | 67% | 55% | 59% | 64% | 68% | 32,087 | 77% |
| UC Berkeley | 8.1% | 5.4% | 5.3% | 3.3% | 5.8% | 23,973 | 14% |
| UC Davis | 67% | 42% | 49% | 51% | 56% | 20,844 | 37% |
| UC Irvine | 37% | 21% | 32% | 42% | 42% | 21,587 | 22% |
| UCLA | 9% | 5.7% | 6% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 24,137 | 9.6% |
| UC Merced | 59% | 64% | 63% | 80% | 80% | 4,843 | 96% |
| UC Riverside | 74% | 77% | 78% | 84% | 82% | 6,377 | 87% |
| UC Santa Barbara | 27% | 20% | 22% | 30% | 48% | 18,644 | 32% |
| UC Santa Cruz | 70% | 54% | 61% | 81% | 72% | 6,686 | 71% |
| UC San Diego | 31% | 15% | 17% | 22% | 29% | 24,224 | 25% |
Transfer admit rates for international applicants
| Campus | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2025 applicants | California residents, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any UC campus | 65% | 59% | 59% | 59% | 63% | 4,506 | 71% |
| UC Berkeley | 15% | 21% | 23% | 12% | 25% | 3,296 | 22% |
| UC Davis | 59% | 49% | 65% | 56% | 62% | 2,031 | 57% |
| UC Irvine | 50% | 39% | 53% | 44% | 47% | 2,669 | 39% |
| UCLA | 19% | 18% | 17% | 17% | 27% | 3,357 | 23% |
| UC Merced | 63% | 61% | 61% | 57% | 66% | 418 | 73% |
| UC Riverside | 72% | 66% | 60% | 61% | 70% | 900 | 68% |
| UC Santa Barbara | 65% | 61% | 60% | 60% | 65% | 2,006 | 59% |
| UC Santa Cruz | 59% | 63% | 61% | 58% | 61% | 725 | 69% |
| UC San Diego | 57% | 44% | 51% | 57% | 55% | 2,889 | 53% |
UC campuses limit the share of nonresident students they enroll, and nonresidents pay supplemental tuition. Admit rates for each group can move a lot from year to year.
Frequently asked questions
Which UC is hardest to get into for international students?
In fall 2025, UC Berkeley (5.8%) and UCLA (6.3%) had the lowest admit rates for international freshman applicants.
Which UC is easiest to get into for international students?
In fall 2025, UC Riverside (82%) had the highest admit rate for international freshman applicants, followed by UC Merced (80%).
What is the UCLA international acceptance rate?
In fall 2025, UCLA admitted 6.3% of international freshman applicants (1,526 of 24,137), compared with 9.6% of California residents.
What is the UC Berkeley international acceptance rate?
In fall 2025, UC Berkeley admitted 5.8% of international freshman applicants (1,391 of 23,973), compared with 14% of California residents.
Campus pages
Source: University of California Office of the President, UC Information Center, Undergraduate admissions summary, fall 2021–2025. Freshman figures are for fall; transfer figures are fall transfers. “Out-of-state” is UC’s “domestic nonresident” (U.S. students from outside California); “international” is UC’s “international nonresident”. The systemwide admit rate counts applicants admitted to at least one UC campus. “—” means UC suppressed a small count. This site is independent and not affiliated with the University of California. Admit rates describe past applicants, not any individual student’s chances.