University of California, Riverside

Admitted first-year students at UC Riverside carry an average high school GPA of about 3.75. There is no published hard cutoff, but because UC Riverside is test-free, your Academic GPA and the rigor of your coursework carry the most weight — GPA is rated a very important factor and course rigor an important one in the review.

No — UC Riverside is one of the more accessible UC campuses, admitting about 86.1% of applicants in the most recent cycle. It received roughly 61,000 first-year applications and enrolled around 6,686 first-years. Admission can be more competitive for selective majors, but the overall bar is far lower than at the most selective UCs.

UC Riverside admitted about 86.1% of first-year applicants in the most recent cycle — roughly 52,676 admits from 61,184 applications, with about 6,686 enrolling. That makes it one of the higher acceptance rates in the University of California system.

Admission rates at UC Riverside are high and nearly identical across residency groups. In Fall 2025, California residents were admitted at 86.9% (53,276 of 61,333 applicants), domestic non-residents at 88.8% (2,801 of 3,153), and international applicants at 82.1% (5,235 of 6,377). Out-of-state domestic applicants are actually admitted at a slightly higher rate than California residents, so residency itself is not a significant barrier. Non-residents do make up a very small share of enrolled students — about 1% of the class — because far fewer apply. Plan to present strong grades and rigorous coursework, since UC Riverside is test-blind and reviews no SAT or ACT scores.

No. Like all University of California campuses, UC Riverside is test-blind — it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions even if you submit them. Standardized test scores are listed as not considered, so your application is reviewed entirely without them.

Yes. UC Riverside rates the Application Essay as a very important factor — on par with Academic GPA and above course rigor in its holistic review. Because the campus is test-blind and reviews no SAT or ACT scores, your written responses are one of the few places to stand out, so a specific, well-revised essay carries real weight.

Annual tuition and required fees run about $16,658 for California residents and $54,260 for out-of-state and international students, with on-campus food and housing adding roughly $20,400 a year. About 68% of first-years receive need-based grant aid, with an average package near $33,140 and 87% of demonstrated need met on average.

The social sciences and psychology are the largest combined area at roughly 28% of bachelor's degrees, followed by the biological and life sciences at about 19% — reflecting strengths in entomology, plant science, and biomedical research. Business accounts for about 15%, with arts and humanities and engineering and computing each around 14%.