Admit rate has ranged 21%–30% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
UC Irvine is a powerhouse public research university where the sun-drenched, park-like campus belies an intensely rigorous academic engine. Known for its formidable strength in the biological sciences, computer science, and business, UCI operates with the focus of a tech incubator grafted onto a classic liberal arts college. The student body is famously studious—social life is more about club meetings and late-night study sessions in Aldrich Park than raucous parties—but that focus pays off in exceptional graduation rates and strong career outcomes, especially in Southern California's innovation economy.
Admission requirements
Test-blind — scores not considered
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Class rank
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
30,197
In-state tuition
$15,722
Out-of-state tuition
$49,922
No-Loan Policy
Yes, for qualifying students
Graduation Rate
87%
Meets Full Need
Yes, for eligible CA residents
Demonstrated Interest
Not considered
Median Earnings (10yr)
$80,735
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$80,735
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
5.7×
Median debt at graduation
$15,000
Graduation rate
87%
First-year retention
94%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
78%
Pell (lower-income) share
36%
First-gen share (among federal-aid recipients)
44%
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$81,929
Computer Science$73,128
Computer Engineering$69,338
Computer and Information Sciences, General$66,461
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$65,387
Management Information Systems and Services
Applicants here also applied to
The schools that most often appear alongside UC Irvine on applicants’ lists, from our self-reported outcomes corpus.
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
268
Summer high
80°F
Winter low
47°F
Annual rain
17.6"
Natural-hazard risk
Very High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
1,129
Scholarly works
192,051
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Future-scholar output
Science & engineering PhDstop 38 nationally
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
6.8%
Bottom → top quintile
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at University of California-Irvine?
University of California-Irvine's acceptance rate is approximately 29% (Irvine, CA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
How much does University of California-Irvine cost?
At University of California-Irvine, the average net price (after aid) is about $14,251 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend University of California-Irvine?
University of California-Irvine enrolls approximately 30,197 undergraduate students.
Where is University of California-Irvine located?
University of California-Irvine is located in Irvine, CA.
Admissions
Getting into UC Irvine is a high-stakes numbers game, where the overall masks a much more competitive reality for California residents. For the most recent cycle, the university received 124,232 first-year applications and admitted 35,954, resulting in a first-year admission rate of 28.94%. However, the admit rate for in-state applicants is significantly lower, reported at around 22%, while out-of-state and international applicants face rates above 40%. The middle 50% of admitted students present formidable academic credentials, with high school GPAs ranging from 4.00 to 4.25. While test scores are not required for California residents, the middle 50% SAT range for those who submit them is 1210–1450. The process is holistic but intensely academic; the indicates the most important factors are the rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and the application essays. Notably, demonstrated interest is not considered in admissions decisions. Once admitted, UCI must contend with ; only about 22% of admitted students choose to enroll, meaning the university admits a large class to hit its enrollment targets, and the waitlist can see significant movement, with recent years seeing over 80% of waitlisted students eventually offered admission.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$65,332
Civil Engineering$62,707
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$54,974
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Co-application frequency from self-reported results — directional peer discovery, not a recommendation.
55%
From bottom quintile
12%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
UCI’s academic identity is defined by its colossal strength in STEM and social sciences, wrapped in a comprehensive research university framework. The most popular majors tell the story: for the 2024 graduating class, 17% earned degrees in Social Sciences, 12% in Psychology, 11% in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, and another 11% in Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services. The campus is a recognized leader in areas like computer science, engineering, and health sciences, programs whose reputations act as a magnet for high-achieving, career-focused students. The undergraduate experience is built around access to world-renowned faculty and a vast array of majors and minors, with structured academic advising supporting students from orientation through graduation. The environment is competitive, particularly in capped majors, and the workload is notoriously heavy—this is not a school for the academically casual. The intellectual culture is one of purposeful ambition, where students are keenly aware of the direct line between their coursework and high-value internships or graduate programs in tech, healthcare, and finance.
Life at UCI revolves around its stunning, park-centered campus—a meticulously planned landscape of modern architecture and green spaces that feels more like a corporate tech headquarters than a traditional collegiate quad. The social scene is often described as quieter and more academically focused compared to other large universities. Students self-report that the vibe is collaborative rather than cutthroat, with a culture where peers "have each other's backs." Organized fun is plentiful but tends to be low-key: concerts, comedy nights, movie screenings, and a plethora of multicultural clubs and student-run events. The university actively fosters a vibrant and inclusive environment through its Student Life & Leadership programs. Don’t expect a classic rah-rah sports scene; the energy is channeled into academics, research, and professional development. The famous Anteater mascot (Peter the Anteater) adds a dose of quirky charm, but the defining characteristic of student life is a pervasive, serious-minded dedication to making the most of the university's resources. It’s a place for students who find their community in lab partners, club meetings, and late-night study sessions in one of the many outdoor spaces.
The UCI investment pays clear dividends. The university boasts a strong 87% graduation rate, significantly above the national midpoint for four-year colleges. This success translates directly into the job market. According to the university's own Anteater GradStats, average estimated starting salaries for bachelor's graduates cluster in the low-$60,000s. The longer-term payoff is even more impressive, with median earnings ten years after entry reaching $80,735. These outcomes are fueled by UCI's deep connections to Southern California's tech, healthcare, and business sectors, and a career pathways office that tracks the outcomes of over 210,000 graduates. The data paints a picture of a university that effectively prepares its students not just to graduate, but to launch into financially secure careers.
As a public university, UCI's sticker price presents a significant hurdle, particularly for out-of-state students. However, the university is committed to making education accessible through robust financial aid. The average after aid—what students actually pay—is $14,251. A key pillar of this commitment is UCI's no-loan policy for qualifying students, which replaces federal loans with grants and scholarships in financial aid packages for those who demonstrate need. The university meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need for eligible California residents. This policy, coupled with the availability of scholarships, grants, and work-study, means that for a majority of in-state students, the cost is dramatically reduced. Over half of all students receive financial aid, and the university provides detailed net price calculators to help families estimate their actual out-of-pocket expense.
UC Irvine stands out for its potent, almost clinical, combination of high-impact research, stellar student outcomes, and a campus culture of focused ambition. It has mastered the model of a modern public research university: less about football Saturdays and Greek life, more about patentable discoveries, startup incubators, and funneling talent directly into the nation's most dynamic industries. Its identity is inextricably linked to its Orange County location—a hub of biotechnology, computing, and business—which it serves as both a talent pipeline and an innovation partner. The student experience is defined by this professional orientation; you come to UCI not for a traditional 'college experience,' but for a highly efficient launchpad. From its park-like, architecturally bold campus to its no-loan financial aid policy for in-state students, everything feels deliberately engineered for success. It’s a university for self-starters who see their undergraduate years as the first, critical step in a professional journey, and who thrive in an environment where everyone else is reading the same playbook.
