In fall 2025, 25,093 freshmen applied to UC San Diego in Life Sciences and 8,177 were admitted, an admit rate of 33%, compared with 28% for the campus as a whole. The middle half of admitted students had a UC GPA between 4.15 and 4.29. Of those admitted, 1,752 enrolled (21%).
What stands out
It ranked 10 of 12 major areas at UC San Diego for selectivity (1 = hardest). The admit rate fell from 38% in 2021 to 33% in 2025, while applications went from 22,100 to 25,093. Among UC campuses, UCLA was the hardest in Life Sciences (13%).
Five-year trend
| Fall | Applied | Admitted | Admit rate | Admitted GPA (middle 50%) | Enrolled | Enrolled GPA (middle 50%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25,093 | 8,177 | 33% | 4.15–4.29 | 1,752 | 4.11–4.28 |
| 2024 | 23,363 | 8,360 | 36% | 4.12–4.29 | 1,751 | 4.04–4.27 |
| 2023 | 22,617 | 7,516 | 33% | 4.13–4.29 | 1,686 | 4.06–4.27 |
| 2022 | 23,062 | 6,131 | 27% | 4.14–4.31 | 1,337 | 4.07–4.29 |
| 2021 | 22,100 | 8,290 | 38% | 4.09–4.30 | 1,687 | 4.04–4.27 |
Life Sciences at every UC (fall 2025)
| Campus | Applied | Admitted | Admit rate | Admitted GPA (middle 50%) | Campus overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | 23,700 | 3,121 | 13% | 4.21–4.30 | 9% |
| UC Berkeley | 19,316 | 3,114 | 16% | 4.16–4.29 | 11% |
| UC Irvine | 18,556 | 5,620 | 30% | 4.12–4.29 | 29% |
| UC San Diego | 25,093 | 8,177 | 33% | 4.15–4.29 | 28% |
| UC Santa Barbara | 21,225 | 8,909 | 42% | 4.11–4.29 | 38% |
| UC Davis | 25,418 | 12,732 | 50% | 4.03–4.27 | 44% |
| UC Santa Cruz | 14,258 | 10,997 | 77% | 3.86–4.22 | 72% |
| UC Riverside | 15,719 | 13,023 | 83% | 3.85–4.22 | 87% |
| UC Merced | 10,012 | 9,646 | 96% | 3.62–4.18 | 94% |
Transfer admit rates: Life Sciences majors (fall 2025)
| Major | Applied | Admitted | Admit rate | 2024 rate | Admitted GPA (middle 50%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 829 | 393 | 47% | 46% | 3.44–3.87 |
| Human Biology | 581 | 302 | 52% | 54% | 3.51–3.90 |
| Molecular & Cell Biology | 343 | 192 | 56% | 66% | 3.59–3.93 |
| Neurobiology | 193 | 96 | 50% | 51% | 3.52–3.93 |
| Marine Biology | 130 | 53 | 41% | 41% | 3.19–3.73 |
| Microbiology | 128 | 63 | 49% | 58% | 3.47–3.92 |
| Ecology, Behavior & Evolution | 86 | 38 | 44% | 45% | 3.47–3.90 |
| Environmental Systems – Ecology, Behavior, Evolution | 49 | 27 | 55% | 50% | 3.33–3.83 |
| Biology – Bioinformatics | 32 | 19 | 59% | 70% | 3.46–3.97 |
| Bioengineering – Bioinformatics | 13 | 6 | 46% | 50% | 3.70–3.94 |
Transfer GPA is the UC-transferable GPA from community college. All UC San Diego transfer majors →
Other major areas at UC San Diego
Check your chances with your GPA and intended major →
Source: University of California Office of the President, UC Information Center: Freshman admissions by discipline and Transfers by major. UC reports freshman results by broad discipline (the major area students applied to, such as Engineering), not by individual major; transfer results are by individual major. GPA ranges are the 25th–75th percentile of admitted students (freshman: weighted, capped UC GPA; transfer: UC-transferable GPA). Counts include all applicants (California, out-of-state and international). Small counts are suppressed by UC. This site is independent and not affiliated with the University of California. Admit rates describe past applicants, not any individual student’s chances.