Our admission guidelines are designed to ensure you are well-prepared to succeed at UC. If you're interested in entering the University of California as a first-year student, you'll have to satisfy these requirements:
1. Complete 15 A-G courses (11 of them by end of junior year)
You need to complete a minimum of 15 college-preparatory courses (A-G courses) with a letter grade of C or better. You must complete at least 11 of these courses prior to the beginning of your last year of high school.
The 15 courses are:|
a. History |
2 years |
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b. English |
4 years |
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c. Mathematics |
3 years (4 years recommended) |
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d. Science |
2 years (3 years recommended) |
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e. Language other than English |
2 years* (3 years recommended) |
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f. Visual and performing arts |
1 year |
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g. College-preparatory elective |
1 year |
2. Earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better (3.4 if you're a nonresident) in these courses with no grade lower than a C.
Learn how to calculate the UC freshman GPA »
California students
If you're a state resident graduating from a California high school who has met the minimum requirements and aren't admitted to any UC campus to which you apply, you'll be offered a spot at another campus if space is available, provided:
- You rank in the top 9 percent of California high school students, according to our updated Statewide Index, or
- You rank in the top 9 percent of your graduating class at a participating high school. We refer to this as "Eligible in the Local Context" (ELC).