In fall 2025, 5,945 freshmen applied to UC Santa Cruz in Arts & Humanities and 4,022 were admitted, an admit rate of 68%, compared with 72% for the campus as a whole. The middle half of admitted students had a UC GPA between 3.80 and 4.17. Of those admitted, 281 enrolled (7%).
What stands out
It ranked 5 of 10 major areas at UC Santa Cruz for selectivity (1 = hardest). The admit rate rose from 59% in 2021 to 68% in 2025, while applications went from 5,779 to 5,945. Among UC campuses, UCLA was the hardest in Arts & Humanities (9%).
Five-year trend
| Fall | Applied | Admitted | Admit rate | Admitted GPA (middle 50%) | Enrolled | Enrolled GPA (middle 50%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,945 | 4,022 | 68% | 3.80–4.17 | 281 | 3.65–4.04 |
| 2024 | 6,946 | 4,185 | 60% | 3.82–4.18 | 348 | 3.75–4.08 |
| 2023 | 7,205 | 4,180 | 58% | 3.81–4.19 | 390 | 3.71–4.12 |
| 2022 | 6,359 | 2,697 | 42% | 3.90–4.22 | 314 | 3.80–4.15 |
| 2021 | 5,779 | 3,398 | 59% | 3.78–4.15 | 409 | 3.72–4.03 |
Arts & Humanities at every UC (fall 2025)
| Campus | Applied | Admitted | Admit rate | Admitted GPA (middle 50%) | Campus overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | 14,569 | 1,295 | 9% | 4.04–4.28 | 9% |
| UC Berkeley | 8,925 | 2,256 | 25% | 4.06–4.27 | 11% |
| UC Irvine | 7,179 | 2,454 | 34% | 3.93–4.23 | 29% |
| UC San Diego | 7,812 | 2,699 | 35% | 4.06–4.26 | 28% |
| UC Santa Barbara | 10,271 | 3,619 | 35% | 4.03–4.26 | 38% |
| UC Davis | 6,530 | 3,437 | 53% | 3.94–4.24 | 44% |
| UC Santa Cruz | 5,945 | 4,022 | 68% | 3.80–4.17 | 72% |
| UC Riverside | 5,364 | 4,847 | 90% | 3.46–4.06 | 87% |
| UC Merced | 1,625 | 1,476 | 91% | 3.50–4.08 | 94% |
Transfer admit rates: Arts & Humanities majors (fall 2025)
| Major | Applied | Admitted | Admit rate | 2024 rate | Admitted GPA (middle 50%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film and Digital Media | 478 | 393 | 82% | 81% | 3.16–3.80 |
| Literature | 374 | 331 | 89% | 84% | 3.17–3.82 |
| History | 244 | 205 | 84% | 78% | 3.12–3.77 |
| Art | 240 | 186 | 78% | 74% | 3.20–3.84 |
| Philosophy | 190 | 163 | 86% | 82% | 3.19–3.82 |
| Theater Arts | 128 | 84 | 66% | 72% | 3.25–3.87 |
| Art History | 77 | 66 | 86% | 73% | 3.12–3.87 |
| Music | 69 | 53 | 77% | 66% | 3.20–3.82 |
| Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism | 29 | 24 | 83% | 75% | 3.12–3.91 |
Transfer GPA is the UC-transferable GPA from community college. All UC Santa Cruz transfer majors →
Other major areas at UC Santa Cruz
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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.