UCLA: What the Numbers Actually Say
More students apply to UCLA than to any other university in the country, and most of them are chasing a version of it that undersells the real one. The beach-and-basketball campus admits under one in ten, runs one of the strongest graduation rates in public higher education, and enrols more first-generation students than any elite private will ever approach. It does all of that at a net price most private colleges cannot touch.
UCLA received 145,086 applications — the most of any school in our data — and admitted 9.4%. The average net price after aid is $12,548, 92.8% of students graduate within six years, and 38.1% of undergraduates are the first in their family at college.
At a glance
| University of California, Los Angeles | US median | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Los Angeles, CA | |
| Undergraduates | 33,534 | |
| Acceptance rate | 9.4% | |
| Applicants / admits | 145,086 / 13,659 | |
| Student–faculty ratio | 20:1 | |
| Average net price after aid | $12,548 | $20,150 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs out | $82,511 | $53,038 |
| Median debt at graduation | $14,000 | $23,000 |
US medians are across every college reporting the figure to the College Scorecard — roughly 1,700 for net price and 1,800 for earnings.
Admissions: the biggest applicant pool in America
UCLA drew 145,086 applications and admitted 13,659 — 9.4%. There is no early round: every application arrives through the University of California system by the same deadline, and nothing about the process is binding.
| Application factor | University of California, Los Angeles says | How common that is |
|---|---|---|
| Academic GPA | Very important | 91% of schools say the same |
| Application Essay | Very important | 34% of schools say the same |
| Character/personal qualities | Very important | 27% of schools say the same |
| Extracurricular activities | Very important | only 18% of schools say the same |
| Recommendation(s) | Very important | 32% of schools say the same |
| Rigor of secondary school record | Very important | 87% of schools say the same |
| Talent/ability | Very important | only 14% of schools say the same |
| Class rank | Important | 47% of schools say the same |
| First generation | Important | only 7% of schools say the same |
| Standardized test scores | Important | 37% of schools say the same |
| Geographical residence | Considered | 34% of schools say the same |
| Volunteer work | Considered | 66% of schools say the same |
| Work experience | Considered | 69% of schools say the same |
| Alumni/ae relation | Not considered | 54% of schools say the same |
| Interview | Not considered | 43% of schools say the same |
| Level of applicant's interest | Not considered | 38% of schools say the same |
| Religious affiliation/commitment | Not considered | 89% of schools say the same |
| State residency | Not considered | 57% of schools say the same |
The school’s own ratings from its Common Data Set filing, set against the 362 filings in our dataset. Bold rows are ratings fewer than a quarter of schools share — the places this school’s process is genuinely unusual. Declared weight is not submission policy; requirements change year to year and should be checked directly.
UCLA’s filing leads with the person: character, extracurriculars and talent all sit at the very top of its scale — ratings only a fifth of schools or fewer share — and first-generation status is rated important, which only 7% of schools declare. Alumni ties, interviews and demonstrated interest are not considered at all. The file is the essay, the activities and the context; there is no side door and no benefit to campus visits.
Cost: public pricing, by income
The average net price after aid is $12,548 — cheaper than 83.1% of American colleges.
| Family income | University of California, Los Angeles | US median |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $5,579 / year | $15,238 |
| $30,000 – $48,000 | $6,682 / year | $15,431 |
| $48,000 – $75,000 | $9,811 / year | $17,510 |
| $75,000 – $110,000 | $14,142 / year | $21,308 |
| Over $110,000 | $29,682 / year | $25,893 |
Average net price actually paid by aided US students at each income level, from the College Scorecard. Sticker price is what almost nobody at these income levels pays.
These averages blend California residents with far higher-paying out-of-state students, so they overstate what a typical in-state family pays and understate the out-of-state price.
The median graduate leaves owing $14,000 — lower than nine in ten US colleges.
Outcomes
Median earnings, 10 years after entry · US median $53,038
Earnings of students from the lowest-income third · US median $42,600
Average net price after aid · US median $20,150
Median debt at graduation · US median $23,000
Bar length is the share of US colleges this school beats on each measure; the tick marks the national median. Price and debt are inverted, so a longer bar is always the better outcome. Source: College Scorecard.
92.8% of students graduate within six years and 97% of first-years return — numbers usually seen at private schools a tenth the size. UCLA does it while enrolling 28.2% of undergraduates on Pell Grants and 38.1% first-generation students, roughly double the shares at the elite privates on this site.
The scale is real: 33,534 undergraduates on a 20:1 student–faculty ratio, with 46.2% of course sections under 20 students. 98.9% of first-years live on campus.
How University of California, Los Angeles compares
Frequently asked questions
What is UCLA’s acceptance rate?
9.4%. UCLA received 145,086 applications — more than any other university in the country — and admitted 13,659 students.
How much does UCLA actually cost?
An average $12,548 a year after aid. A California family earning under $30,000 pays about $5,579; from $75,000 to $110,000, about $14,142. Out-of-state students pay substantially more than these blended averages show.
Does UCLA care about campus visits or interviews?
No. Its filing lists demonstrated interest, interviews and alumni relation as not considered. What it rates at the very top: character, extracurricular activities, talent, essays, GPA and course rigour.
Is UCLA good for first-generation students?
By the numbers, among the best anywhere: 38.1% of undergraduates are first-generation, UCLA rates first-generation status important in admissions — only 7% of schools do — and students from the lowest-income third of families are earning a mean $74,300 ten years after entry.
What GPA do you need for UCLA?
The average admitted high-school GPA is 3.94, and GPA sits at the top of UCLA’s scale alongside course rigour and essays — no SAT/ACT ranges appear in its filing.
See how you stack up
FitFinder weighs schools like UCLA against your own grades, activities and priorities — not a national average.
Join the waitlist →