The admission process at the University of California, Los Angeles is quite selective. In this article, we will discuss the easiest major to get into UCLA and the requirements for applicants.
If you are searching for a less competitive major to procure admission into UCLA, the stats of those majors will be analyzed as you read further.
The state of California houses some of the top raked educational institutions in the world. There are the California State University (CSU) and the University of California (UC) systems. Some of the universities in each of these school systems are less competitive, while some are more. The acceptance rate of the University of California, Los Angeles makes it more selective than other UC schools.
Every year thousands of students both domestic and international apply to UCLA, and it is estimated that the university received over 100,000 applications annually.
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
The University of California, Los Angeles is one out of the 10 campuses in the UC school system. A public research institution established in 1919 and located in Westwood, Los Angeles. The institution is the most applied-to university in the U.S and offers more than 350 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Despite being the most applied-to university in the U.S, the University of California, Los Angeles is more competitive and has an acceptance rate below 15%.
There are 12 prestigious professional schools at UCLA, 6 offer degree programs for undergraduates, and the rest are graduate-level professional health science schools. The University of California runs a quarter-based academic calendar.
Also Read: UCLA Acceptance Rate by Major 2022
List of schools at UCLA
Undergraduate
- Samueli School of Engineering
- School of the Arts and Architecture
- School of Theatre, Film and Television
- Herb Alpert School of Music
- School of Nursing
- Luskin School of Public Affairs
Graduate-level professional health science
- School of Law
- David Geffen School of Medicine
- Fielding School of Public Health
- School of Dentistry
- School of Education as Information Studies
- Anderson School of Management
How Difficult Is It To Get into UCLA?
The University of California, Los Angeles is the most competitive UC school in the UC system. Getting into the institution will require being at the top of your class with more A’s. Indeed UCLA is an institution with high prestige and it gets more applications annually than other UC schools. But the number of applications at UCLA is not in comparison with the accepted.
As of the fall of 2020, the University of California, Los Angeles has an acceptance rate of 14%. That is, out of 100 applications only 14 are accepted.
The acceptance rate of the university makes it even more competitive to be admitted before searching for the easiest majors to get into UCLA. The best GPA, SAT, and ACT are required to better any applicant’s chances of admission.
Most of the undergraduate schools at UCLA have an acceptance rate in the single digits and are very difficult to get into. But applicants’ selection of majors has no effect on their admission decision at the College of Letters and Science.
If you are more ambitious about attending UCLA, then put in the same effort in high school to get better grades and possibly the best.
How To Get Into UCLA?
One simple fact that every high school student must acknowledge is that most universities in California are more selective in their admission process. Take Stanford University and California Institute of Technology for example with acceptance rates of 5% and 6.7% respectively. But UCLA does not fall in the category of schools with single-digit acceptance rates.
Out of the tens of thousands of applicants at UCLA each year, those accepted were at the top of their class in high school. A place at UCLA requires the best grade and test scores from high school.
Below are the statistics for UCLA’s average GPA
- 25th percentile- 4.34
- 75th percentile- 4.68
The average UCLA unweighted GPA
- 25th percentile- 3.92
- 75th percentile- 4.00
The average UCLA ACT score is between 29 and 34. But let us look at the 25th and 75th percentile stats.
- 25th percentile- 30
- 75th percentile- 35
Average SAT score at UCLA
- 25th percentile- 1370
- 75th percentile- 1540
Honours courses that were completed between grades 10 and 12.
For residents in the state of California
- 25th percentile- 18 semesters
- 75th percentile- 26 semesters
Residents outside California
- 25th percentile- 23 semesters
- 75th percentile- 37 semesters
The University of California, Los Angeles has a large number of students comprising both domestic and international. The UCLA community is diverse in ethnicity and there is a heavy presence of Asian American students at UCLA.
Also Read: What are the Easiest College Majors that pay well?
Student’s demographics stats at UCLA
- Caucasian (White)- 28%
- Asian American- 25.1%
- Hispanic or Latino- 19.6%
- African American- 3.45
- American Indian or Alaskan Native-0.23%
- Hawaiin or Other Pacific Islanders- 0.212%
Popular majors at UCLA
- Biology
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Business Economics
- Sociology
- Psychobiology
- Economics
- Biochemistry
- English
- Computer Science
What Is UCLA Searching for in Students?
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research institution and its mission is classified into three words, education, research, and service.
UCLA’s top priority is not on lecturing students alone, but to inculcate a positive mindset in the students in changing the world. UCLA expects its applicants to have an interest not just in academics but also in research.
If you are an aspirant of UCLA, it is highly recommended that you search for opportunities to acquire knowledge in research.
Another important factor at UCLA is service. Applicants who successfully got into UCLA are expected to be civic-minded.
UCLA Major Acceptance Rate
Below are most of the competitive majors at UCLA. These UCLA majors have an acceptance rate below 25%.
College of Letters and Science
- Ancient Near East and Egyptology-25%
- Arabic- 8%
- Atmospheric, Ocean and Environmental Science- 17%
- Biology- 20%
- Business Economics- 12%
- Communication Studies- 13%
- Computation and Systems Biology- 17%
- Earth and Environmental Science- 13%
- Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution- 16%
- Economics- 14%
- Environmental Science- 22%
- Human Biology and Science- 15%
- Linguistics and Spanish- 14%
- Linguistics- 15%
- Marine Biology- 12%
- Math/Atmospheric, Ocean, and Environmental Science- 14%
- Psychobiology- 25%
- Psychology- 22
Acceptance Rate of UC Schools
Below are the 9 UC schools (excluding UC San Francisco as it is a graduate-only school) with their acceptance rate.
UC Berkeley
- Acceptance rate: 16.3%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1350-1540
- Middle 50% ACT: 30-35
UCLA
- Acceptance rate: 12.3%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1270-1520
- Middle ACT: 28-34
UC Irvine
- Acceptance rate: 26.5%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1195-1435
- Middle 59% ACT: 27-33
UC Santa Barbara
- Acceptance rate: 29.6%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1230-1480
- Middle 50% ACT: 26-32
UC San Diego
- Acceptance rate: 31.5%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1300-1520
- Middle 50% ACT: 26-33
UC Davies
- Acceptance rate: 38.9%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1260-1480
- Middle 50% ACT: 28-34
UC Santa Cruz
- Acceptance rate: 51.3%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1170-1400
- Middle 50% ACT: 24-31
UC Riverside
- Acceptance rate: 56.5%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1130-1400
- Middle 50% ACT: 21-29
UC Merced
- Acceptance rate: 72%
- Middle 50% SAT: 1020-1270
- Middle 50% ACT: 17-25
Also Read: UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate By Major 2022
10 Easiest Majors to Transfer into UCLA
Here are the 10 easiest majors to transfer into UCLA. Some of these majors are also the easiest majors to get into UCLA.
| Majors | Mid-Range GPA | Admit Rate |
| African American Studies | 3.21-3.41 | 55% |
| Asian Humanities | 3.51-3.79 | 63% |
| Gender Studies | 3.32-3.38 | 59% |
| Pre-European Studies | 3.10-3.38 | 67% |
| Art History | 3.40-3.78 | 60% |
| Comparative Literature | 3.17-3.68 | 62% |
| Classical Civilization | 3.34-3.76 | 64% |
| American Lit & Culture | 3.30-3.69 | 62% |
| Pre History | 3.45-3.85 | 61% |
| Geography | 3.44-3.85 | 61% |
UCLA Undergraduate schools acceptance rate
Below are the undergraduate schools at UCLA and their acceptance rate.
| Schools | Acceptance rate |
| School of the Art and Architecture | 7% |
| Samueli School of Engineering | 10% |
| School of Nursing | 2% |
| School of Theatre, Film and Television | 4% |
| Herb Alpert School of Music | 19% |
| College of Letters and Science | 14% |
Also Read: 10 Best Pre Med Schools in California
Hardest Majors to Get Into UCLA
We have highlighted the easiest majors to get into UCLA and the most competitive schools at the university.
Now it is time to point out the hardest majors at UCLA. The Samueli School of Engineering has an acceptance rate of 10%. With this rate of acceptance, majors at Samueli School of Engineering will be more competitive. But how competitive are they? Well, let’s find out.
Below are some of the competitive majors at UCLA.
- Computer Engineering- 6%
- Aerospace Engineering- 7%
- Computer Science- 8.2%
Least Competitive Majors at UCLA Admission Requirements
The University of California, Los Angeles is a large public research institution, and residents of California are at a greater advantage than those from other states. For instance, Californian high school students with a GPA of 3.0 and above can apply to UCLA.
For high school students outside the state of California, the required GPA is 3.4 or more, and the students are not to have grades below C in all subjects.
Students making selections in high school courses are mandated to meet the following course requirements.
Also Read: University of California, UC Berkeley Student Portal Login: calcentral.berkeley.edu
- “A” History/Social Science: You need 2 years of history/science, one year of world history, cultures, and geography. You will also need a year of U.S history or one-half year of U.S history with a one-half year of American government.
- “B” English- You need 4 years of college preparatory English. If you are taking ESL-type classes, the highest year alone can be counted towards this requirement.
- “C” Math- You will need 3 years of college-preparatory math. The minimum pattern is Geometry, Algebra I, and Algebra II.
- “D” Laboratory Science- You will need 2 years of laboratory science in two of these subjects, physics, chemistry, and biology.
- “E” Language other than English- You will need 2 years of the same language other than English. 7th and 8th-grade courses taken can be used to meet part of this requirement only if the student’s high school agrees and accepts them as an equivalent to their courses.
- “F” Visual and Performing Arts- You will need just a year of visual or performing arts class. Classes like dance, drama music, drawing, and painting.
- “G” College Preparatory Elective- A year selected from additional A-F courses beyond the courses used in satisfying the requirement of A-F.
Conclusion
It is competitive to get into UCLA and even more so in some of the majors at the university. With an acceptance rate of 14%, UCLA is arguably the most competitive UC School to get into. Some majors in the Samueli School of Engineering are most selective with single digits acceptance rates.
The easiest majors to get into UCLA are also among the easier majors for a transfer to UCLA. The stats are clear, and if you want to attend UCLA? Your chances are better with the best GPA, SAT, or ACT you can obtain while still in high school.
Recommendations:
- Sorbonne University Acceptance Rate
- Northeastern University Acceptance Rate and Admissions
- Easiest CSU to Get Into
- Easiest Universities in Korea to Get Into Highest Acceptance Rate
- What are the Easiest College Majors that pay well?
References
- Infolearners.com: Easiest Major to Get into UCLA
- Blog.prepscholar.com: How to Get Into UCLA: 4 Key Tips
- Cacollegetransfer.com: Easiest Transfer Majors: UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD
- En.wikipedia.org: University of California, Los Angeles
