In fall 2025, 24,878 freshmen applied to UC San Diego in Social Sciences and 6,501 were admitted, an admit rate of 26%, compared with 28% for the campus as a whole. The middle half of admitted students had a UC GPA between 4.08 and 4.28. Of those admitted, 1,262 enrolled (19%).
What stands out
It ranked 5 of 12 major areas at UC San Diego for selectivity (1 = hardest). The admit rate fell from 29% in 2021 to 26% in 2025, while applications went from 25,710 to 24,878. Among UC campuses, UC Berkeley was the hardest in Social Sciences (9%).
Five-year trend
| Fall | Applied | Admitted | Admit rate | Admitted GPA (middle 50%) | Enrolled | Enrolled GPA (middle 50%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 24,878 | 6,501 | 26% | 4.08–4.28 | 1,262 | 4.02–4.25 |
| 2024 | 25,213 | 6,069 | 24% | 4.06–4.27 | 1,205 | 4.00–4.23 |
| 2023 | 24,562 | 5,634 | 23% | 4.08–4.28 | 1,150 | 4.00–4.25 |
| 2022 | 25,386 | 5,317 | 21% | 4.09–4.30 | 1,076 | 4.03–4.25 |
| 2021 | 25,710 | 7,542 | 29% | 4.03–4.27 | 1,321 | 4.00–4.22 |
Social Sciences at every UC (fall 2025)
| Campus | Applied | Admitted | Admit rate | Admitted GPA (middle 50%) | Campus overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | 20,627 | 1,758 | 9% | 4.15–4.29 | 11% |
| UCLA | 24,248 | 2,220 | 9% | 4.19–4.30 | 9% |
| UC San Diego | 24,878 | 6,501 | 26% | 4.08–4.28 | 28% |
| UC Irvine | 20,261 | 6,409 | 32% | 4.00–4.25 | 29% |
| UC Santa Barbara | 33,738 | 12,720 | 38% | 4.07–4.28 | 38% |
| UC Davis | 18,584 | 8,775 | 47% | 4.00–4.24 | 44% |
| UC Santa Cruz | 10,831 | 7,308 | 67% | 3.81–4.18 | 72% |
| UC Riverside | 14,902 | 13,379 | 90% | 3.53–4.09 | 87% |
| UC Merced | 8,622 | 8,049 | 93% | 3.47–4.08 | 94% |
Transfer admit rates: Social Sciences majors (fall 2025)
| Major | Applied | Admitted | Admit rate | 2024 rate | Admitted GPA (middle 50%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 1,475 | 979 | 66% | 71% | 3.44–3.90 |
| Economics | 989 | 561 | 57% | 58% | 3.62–3.95 |
| Political Science | 705 | 537 | 76% | 80% | 3.47–3.93 |
| Sociology | 610 | 446 | 73% | 80% | 3.40–3.90 |
| Political Science – Public Law | 234 | 158 | 68% | 77% | 3.37–3.90 |
| Business Psychology | 198 | 102 | 52% | 57% | 3.44–3.86 |
| Psychology With A Specialization in Clinical Psychology | 184 | 131 | 71% | 65% | 3.38–3.87 |
| Anthropology | 178 | 129 | 72% | 76% | 3.37–3.89 |
| Sociology – Law and Society | 151 | 88 | 58% | 68% | 3.38–3.85 |
| Political Science – International Relations | 139 | 100 | 72% | 70% | 3.43–3.91 |
| Bachelor of Science in Economics | 138 | 57 | 41% | — | 3.48–3.94 |
| Anthropology(Concentration in Sociocultral Anthropology) | 115 | 81 | 70% | 86% | 3.38–3.84 |
| Urban Studies & Planning | 100 | 70 | 70% | 79% | 3.42–3.92 |
| Political Science – Public Policy | 61 | 48 | 79% | 80% | 3.43–3.90 |
| Political Science/Data Analytics | 55 | 41 | 75% | 80% | 3.30–3.92 |
| Psychology With A Specialization in Developmental Psychology | 55 | 32 | 58% | 55% | 3.27–3.80 |
| Psychology With A Specialization in Human Health | 54 | 34 | 63% | 63% | 3.50–3.83 |
| Human Developmental Sciences | 52 | 36 | 69% | 76% | 3.21–3.75 |
| Psychology With A Specialization in Social Psychology | 44 | 30 | 68% | 60% | 3.58–3.95 |
| Sociology – Economy and Society | 42 | 28 | 67% | 80% | 3.66–3.89 |
| Political Science – American Politics | 41 | 26 | 63% | 69% | 3.36–3.98 |
| Sociology – Science and Medicine | 41 | 30 | 73% | 77% | 3.43–3.85 |
| Sociology – Social Inequality | 36 | 25 | 69% | 81% | 3.63–3.90 |
| Psychology With A Specialization in Cognitive Psychology | 35 | 23 | 66% | 63% | 3.48–3.90 |
| Sociology – Culture and Communications | 32 | 21 | 66% | 74% | 3.19–3.66 |
| Japanese Studies | 29 | 22 | 76% | — | 3.39–3.87 |
| Anthropology With Concentration in Climate Change and Human Solutions | 23 | 19 | 83% | 72% | 3.32–3.76 |
| Political Science /Race, Ethnicity and Politics | 20 | 11 | 55% | 75% | 3.39–3.85 |
| Sociology – International Studies | 19 | 12 | 63% | 81% | 3.26–3.84 |
Transfer GPA is the UC-transferable GPA from community college. All UC San Diego transfer majors →
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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.