Statewide guarantee
UC is committed to ensuring enrollment opportunities for all qualified California high school graduates.
The updated Statewide Index is used to determine eligibility for the statewide guarantee. The Statewide Index identifies California-resident students in the top 9 percent of California high school graduates and offers these students a guaranteed space at a UC campus, if space is available.
How will UC determine which students are in the top 9% statewide?
We use a formula called the Statewide Index to determine which students are in the top 9% of California high school graduates. The Statewide Index considers your A-G course totals and your UC GPA. We count your total number of UC-approved A-G courses completed and in progress/planned in 9th-12th grade and calculate your UC GPA using the A-G courses you completed between the summer following 9th grade and the summer following 11th grade. If your total number of A-G courses is equal to or greater than the number of A-G courses listed in the index for your GPA, then you're in the top 9%.
UC requires a 3.0 GPA for admission, but the lowest GPA on the Statewide Index is 3.6. Does that mean UC will not admit students with GPAs below 3.6?
No. Meeting minimum requirements to qualify for admission is not the same as meeting eligibility for guaranteed admission. UC will continue to review all applicants who earn a minimum GPA in A-G and college-preparatory courses for residents (3.0 GPA) and nonresidents (3.4 GPA). However, if a resident applicant qualifies for guaranteed admission to the University via the updated Statewide Index or the Eligible in the Local Context (ELC) pathway and is not admitted to any of the UC campuses they applied to, they will be offered a spot at another campus if and where there is space available.
Will my 7th and 8th grade math and language other than English (LOTE) courses count toward the A-G totals in the Statewide Index?
Yes. Math and LOTE courses completed in 7th and/or 8th grades count toward the A-G totals in the updated Statewide Index.
If I qualify for a guarantee with the Statewide Index, can I choose which campus I want to attend?
No. If you are a California resident applicant who qualifies for the Statewide Index and you are not admitted to any of the UC campuses you applied to, you'll be offered a spot at another campus if and where there is space available.
Can I take courses the summer after 12th grade to meet the Statewide Index?
No. You must meet eligibility requirements by the time of your high school graduation. Courses taken the summer after you graduate from high school are not counted in the Statewide Index.
Does the Statewide Index impact ELC?
No. The Eligible in the Local Context (ELC) pathway is determined strictly by an applicant’s GPA in comparison to the GPAs of other students at their high school. The Statewide Index is separate from ELC and is one of two pathways available for California residents to secure a guarantee of admission.
If I qualify for a guarantee but then drop a course and no longer meet the Statewide Index, will my admission be rescinded?
Campus admission offices reserve the right to rescind an admission offer if you drop a course or fail to earn a C or better in a course reported on your application. Regardless of whether an applicant qualifies for the Statewide Index, an admission offer from UC is provisional and may be revoked if the self-reported application information does not match a final transcript.
How will college courses count in the A-G course totals for the Statewide Index?
For the Statewide Index, UC counts the number of actual courses completed in 9th through 12th grades rather than the number of A-G courses met with a single course. Therefore, one college course counts as one course in the A-G course totals, even though it may fulfill more than one year of an A-G requirement.
If I am on the cusp of meeting the Statewide Index based on my GPA, could I add coursework to my 12th grade to qualify for a guarantee?
Yes. However, you need to ensure that you report the “extra courses” when you submit your application in November during your senior year. The courses you originally report in your application will determine your qualification for the statewide guarantee and are subject to verification.