University of California, UCLA is a public university in the Los Angeles, USA. UCLA was founded in 1919 and is known for its unique blend of academic intelligence, and the endless opportunities of Los Angeles. The acceptance rate for international students at the University of California is 11%, indicating that UCLA admissions are highly competitive.
UCLA is a home to over 46,000 students, among which there are more than 5,200 international students from 100+ countries. The University of California tuition fees for international students is 14,478 USD for undergraduate programmes, and 33,238 USD for postgraduate and research degrees.
UCLA provides over 3900 courses in 130 majors and 90 minors for undergraduates degrees, and more than 200 graduate courses in the fields of Engineering, Humanities, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences. For UCLA admission, students need to have at least 3.4 GPA, English proficiency scores such as IELTS, along with SOPs, and LORs.
UCLA has produced 16 Nobel Laureates, 15 MacArthur Fellows, 11 National Medal of Science Winners, 7 Pulitzer Prize Winners, 11 Rhodes Scholars, 2 Turing Award winners. There are more than 20 Oscar and Golden Globes winners among University of California alumni. UCLA is ranked 1st among the top USA public universities in the U.S. News & World Report, 2023.
The flagship campus of the University of California is located in Westwood, Los Angeles, with nine other campuses located in Berkley, Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. Student life at the University of California is a mix of continuing research and worldwide exposure, with over 1000 clubs and student groups to choose from.
UCLA is located among beaches, mountains, and the busy Hollywood scene, which provides cultural richness and internship opportunities. Silicon Beach and its growing companies provide an exciting environment for young entrepreneurs and inventors. UCLA's foreign collaborations and study abroad programmes allow students to widen their horizons and establish a worldwide network. Students have access to world-class museums, theatres, concert halls, hiking trails, beaches, and national parks.
Read more: Benefits of studying in the USA
The University of California is ranked consistently among the top universities in the US and the world. The university is ranked 15th in the U.S. News & World Report in National Universities 2024. QS World University Rankings 2024 has ranked UCLA on the 29th rank in the world. The University of California is also placed 18th in the Times Higher Education 2024 and 13th in the ARWU 2023.
UCLA is also ranked in specific courses including, the Wharton School is ranked 3rd in Best Business Schools by U.S. News & World Report, and the School of Engineering and Applied Science is ranked 4th in Best Engineering Schools.
The University of California offers over 3900 courses in 130 majors and 90 minors for undergraduates, and more than 200 graduate courses. It is one of the best 10 engineering colleges in the USA. Departments of Engineering, Humanities, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences see the highest percentage of graduate enrolled students.
According to Times Higher Education, the departments of Humanities, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences have the largest percentage of enrolled students. UCLA is also one of the top Computer Science Universities in the United States, with over 1,300 undergraduate students and 300 graduate students currently enrolled. UCLA's graduate programmes are ranked in the top 25 and 40 of its doctoral courses are ranked in the top 10.
As of fall 2022, University of California tuition fees for each incoming undergraduate semester will remain stable and unchanged until the student graduates, for up to six years. UCLA tuition fees for international students is 14,478 USD for undergraduate programmes. Tuition and fees for most postgraduate and research degrees is 18,136 USD per year for California residents, and 33,238 USD per year for non-California students. Different programmes have different tuition rates. Students can get additional information on the UCLA official website, ucla.edu.
UCLA offers a lively and dynamic campus culture, making studying in Los Angeles, USA an exciting experience for students. Because UCLA is located in a metropolitan area, the cost of studying in the United States is higher for UCLA students. Aside from tuition, living expenditures include accommodation, food, transportation, and other personal expenses. Depending on an individual's lifestyle choices, annual living expenditures might range from $63,000 USD to $72,000 USD. A complete table of UCLA living expenditures is provided below.
Cost of living at the University of California
Expenses | On-Campus Accommodation | Off-Campus Accommodation |
Food and Housing | $17,148 | $17,436 |
Study Materials | $1,574 | $1,574 |
Transportation | $704 | $1,196 |
Personal | $1,655 | $1,921 |
Health Insurance | $2,958 | $2,958 |
Source: UCLA official Website
The University of California acceptance rate is approximately 11%, which shows that only a few students are admitted to the university every year. Applicants looking for admission to the University of California are required to apply online by filling out an application form available on the official website. A detailed procedure is mentioned in the steps below.
How to apply to UCLA?
Visit the official website - ucla.edu
Explore the undergraduate and graduate courses.
Choose a programme of your choice.
Check all UCLA entry requirements.
Apply online by filling out the online application.
Fill out the application with relevant information.
Attach the required documents.
Pay the application fee.
Submit the application form.
What is the application fee of the University of California? The application fee for undergraduate programmes is for US residents is 80 USD and 95usd for international and non-immigrant applicants. For graduate courses, US candidates are required to pay 135 USD, while all other applicants are required to pay 155 USD.
Applicants to the Global Executive MBA for Asia Pacific, Master of Financial Engineering and Master of Science in Business Analytics programs pay an application fee of 200 USD.
Documents required for UCLA admission
Official academic transcripts
Application form
Certification of high school and graduate scores
Certificate in English proficiency scores
Statement of purpose
Passport information
Scholarships are available to US citizens at the University of California. Applicants can, however, apply for scholarships in the United States for international students before the deadlines mentioned on the official website. The University of California offers scholarships such as the K.C. Mahindra Scholarships for Post-Graduate Studies Abroad, Narotam Sekhsaria Scholarships, Education for Sustainable Energy Development (ESED), Jane M Klausman Women in Business Scholarship, Hani Zeini Scholarship, Zolve Global Scholarship, QS Scholarship For Academic Excellence, Paul Haarman Shift Scholarship, William Schantz Grant, and Lady Meherbai D Tata Trust Scholarships.
UCLA has defined entry requirements for candidates applying from India, students are required to meet the following eligibility criteria:
To be eligible for undergraduate admission, Indian candidates must pass both the year X and year XII state board or CBSE exams, with an average score of at least 70 and no score lower than 60.
On a scale of 4.0, applicants must have a GPA of at least 3.4.
Indian candidates need to have a bachelor's degree or its equivalent and a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale in order to be considered for graduate entrance.
Candidates must complete the English language requirements for their selected course if English is not their first language. To fulfil these criteria, applicants are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing Service (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test. The required proficiency scores are:
TOEFL - 100
IELTS - 7
DET - 120
University of California, Los Angeles has 12 campus libraries– Charles E. Young Research Library, Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library, Powell Library, Science and Engineering Library, Arts Library, Eugene and Maxine Rosenfeld Management Library, Music Library, Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library, Southern Regional Library Facility, UCLA Library Data Science Center, UCLA Film & Television Archive — Research and Study Center, UCLA Library Special Collections.
There are 9 more campus libraries and archives. UCLA library is the 2nd Largest Research Library by Titles Held with 18 million titles and 21 million articles downloaded per year. Timings and details can be found on the official website at library.ucla.edu/visit/locations. Students can borrow books and other materials with their student ID card.
UCLA athletes are known as Bruins. All kinds of students including experienced athletes, beginners, recreation-seekers can find plenty of sports facilities and opportunities to showcase their talents and expand their horizons. There are 16 athletic facilities for football, volleyball, basketball, tennis, boating, swimming, golf, soccer, baseball and many more. UCLA club sports have 54 different teams and 2,700+ participants along with 15 intramural sports.
UCLA has six aquatic facilities throughout the campus that are used for competitions, training and recreational purposes.
Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center: 3, 5, 7.5, and 10-metre platforms on a diving tower as well as one and three-metre springboard.
Family Pool: An outdoor 25-yard, six lane pool and has a shallow leisure area and a deep diving well.
North Pool: 6 lane, 25-yard outdoor pool.
Park Pool: 8 lane, 50-metre pool.
Student Activities Center Pool: 8 lane, 33-yard outdoor pool.
University of California, Los Angeles allows students to use public transportation, bicycling, carpool, vanpool and shuttle services. Students can get subsidised bus passes for seven public transit agencies, commuter benefits for bicycling and walking. UCLA has 3,500 bike racks and lockers located throughout campus. Go Metro, BruinGO!LADOT, Long Beach Transit, Santa Clarita Transit, Antelope Valley Transit Authority, EZ Transit Pass are the public transit options. UCLA provides Bruin Grad Pass, free quarterly passes to eligible students to make use of public transportation. Students can find out buying options on the official website.
There are both dining and Quick-Service Restaurants for taking out available in on-campus residential halls and other locations. There are three Residential Restaurants– Epicuria, De Neve Dining, Bruin Plate and 8 quick service cafeteria:
Bruin Café
Café 1919
Rendezvous
The Study at Hedrick
The Drey
Epic at Ackerman
De Neve Late Night
Spice Kitchen at Feast
Bruin Plate is a popular dining facility with seasonal, innovative and sustainable cuisines. Popular items are roasted Brussel sprouts, flatbread topped with arugula, roasted cauliflower soup, yam tacos, burger stackers, lemon cod, chipotle chicken bowls, desserts etc.
UCLA’s health facility for students is Ashe Center. It is a nationally accredited, UCLA on-campus health facility for all enrolled students. All UCLA registered students and a condition should have Health Insurance that is UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP). It covers all medical, prescription, counselling, vision and dental services. While basic Primary Care is free of cost for students with registered health insurance, facilities like Basic eye examinations, physical therapy, acupuncture, massage have costs of $10-$15. UCLA Counseling & Psychological Services Center provides physical and mental health support.
UCLA has 46,430 undergraduate and postgraduate students. More than 5,200 foreign students from 106 countries are admitted into the University of California. International students account for more than 11.4% of the overall student body. International Undergraduates make about 9% of the student body. The majority of overseas students come from China, South Korea, and India. UCLA has about 2,841 Chinese students, 318 South Korean students, 639 Indian students, 231 Canadian students, and 205 Taiwan students as of the fall admission in 2022.
UCLA has a variety of support services such as the Dashew Center for immigration, study in the USA, academic support, physical and mental health centres, and employment services for international students. Dashew Center helps international students and scholars with visa services, necessary resources, support and on-campus advocacy. Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center is an accredited, on-campus health facility. All overseas students can contact UCLA on the following details:
Website: ucla.edu
Address: University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
Contact: (310) 825-3101
Yes, it is very challenging to get into the University of California as it has an acceptance rate of 11%, which means that only 11 out of every 100 candidates are accepted into the university. Students with a strong application, a high GPA, involvement in extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and a well written personal statement have a higher chance of getting accepted to UCLA.
There are housing options for undergraduate and graduate single students and families.
UCLA on campus housing for undergraduates includes classic residence halls, Deluxe Residence Halls, Suites & Plazas, Plazas, Plaza Single Pods, and Apartments.
Graduates have studio apartments, 1,2, and 3-bedroom apartments all within walkable distance to the campus.
Average housing costs for undergraduate accommodation vary from $6,853.68 to $18,531.84 and $1000–$2864 for graduate students depending on the choice of accommodation.
Utility bills (electric, water, gas and trash) are included in the rent. Apartments are furnished with TV, and internet.
Students can choose different Meal plans and costs will be added.
Occupancy/Type of Residence | Classic Residence Halls | Deluxe Residence Halls | Suites & Plazas |
Single | $15,114.12 | NA | NA |
Double | $11,445.60 | $12,430.56 | $14,256.84 |
Triple | $8,474.76 | $9,423.24 | $11,411.40 |
Type of off campus housing includes shared apartments, studio apartments, 3, 4-bedroom apartments.
There are 9 university owned off-campus apartments.
Rent is inclusive of utility bills– electricity, water, TV cable, waste disposal
Students can find apartments fully furnished.
Rent varies from $850–$1050 /month depending on the choice of accommodation. UCLA recommends a minimum of $17,436 for food & off campus housing for 9 months of the academic year.
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