In fall 2025, 10,831 freshmen applied to UC Santa Cruz in Social Sciences and 7,308 were admitted, an admit rate of 67%, compared with 72% for the campus as a whole. The middle half of admitted students had a UC GPA between 3.81 and 4.18. Of those admitted, 275 enrolled (4%).
What stands out
It ranked 4 of 10 major areas at UC Santa Cruz for selectivity (1 = hardest). The admit rate rose from 55% in 2021 to 67% in 2025, while applications went from 10,902 to 10,831. 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 | 10,831 | 7,308 | 67% | 3.81–4.18 | 275 | 3.68–4.03 |
| 2024 | 11,938 | 7,493 | 63% | 3.80–4.17 | 708 | 3.75–4.07 |
| 2023 | 11,536 | 6,989 | 61% | 3.81–4.20 | 709 | 3.68–4.08 |
| 2022 | 11,319 | 4,965 | 44% | 3.90–4.23 | 616 | 3.83–4.11 |
| 2021 | 10,902 | 5,950 | 55% | 3.77–4.16 | 706 | 3.70–4.03 |
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%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Politics | 603 | 518 | 86% | 86% | 3.16–3.84 |
| Economics | 534 | 415 | 78% | 74% | 3.26–3.81 |
| Sociology | 479 | 329 | 69% | 73% | 3.09–3.73 |
| Anthropology | 295 | 256 | 87% | 81% | 3.12–3.80 |
| Economics – Mathematics | 40 | 25 | 63% | — | 3.11–3.86 |
| Women's Studies | 40 | 34 | 85% | 67% | 3.28–3.95 |
| Ethnic Studies | 39 | 32 | 82% | 73% | 3.14–3.90 |
| Earth Science/Anthropology | 9 | 9 | 100% | — | 2.41–3.35 |
Transfer GPA is the UC-transferable GPA from community college. All UC Santa Cruz 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.