UC Irvine 2025 Admission Statistics

UC Irvine Admission Guide — Class of 2030 (Applying 2025‑26)

“Anteaters are builders—of research, of community, and of futures they aren’t afraid to prototype.” — UCI admissions reader, May 2025

Why read this?

You’re a high‑school junior who will file the University of California application between October  1 and November  30  2025.
UC Irvine’s freshly released 2024‑25 Common Data Set spills brand‑new numbers on acceptance rates, GPA ranges, costs, and aid. Use this narrative cheat‑sheet—no tables, no fluff—to benchmark your odds, calendar every deadline, and craft an application that shouts Zot!

The Admission Landscape — Numbers in Plain English

• 122,706 first‑year applications last cycle.
• 35,317 offers → overall admit rate ≈ 29 %.
• 6,736 freshmen enrolled → yield ~ 19 % (UCI watches yield via demonstrated interest flags in its portal data).
• Wait‑list roulette. 13,155 offered a WL spot; 6,259 accepted; 6,259 ultimately admitted—WL can work but is never a guarantee.
• Stickiness. First‑year retention 94 %; six‑year graduation 87 %—Anteaters stick the landing.

Academic Profile of the 2024‑25 Admitted Class

• Test‑free for good. UCI ignores SAT/ACT in admission; send scores only for placement.
• Weighted capped GPA (UC scale) mid‑50 %: 4.12 – 4.29.
• Unweighted GPA average: 3.90.
• Rank reality. 96 % of admits land in the top quarter of their class; two‑thirds in the top decile.
• Course rigor rules. Admits average 10 + AP/IB/dual‑enrollment classes—particularly AP Calc BC, AP/IB lab sciences, and a world language through level 4.
• Selective majors raise the bar. Computer Science, Nursing Science, Biological Sciences, and Business Administration typically admit 0.20 GPA points higher than campus average.

What UCI Values (and How to Show It)

• Problem‑solver mindset. Whether you coded an air‑quality dashboard for Santa Ana residents or prototyped an assistive robot in FIRST, quantify impact—citizens served, dollars raised, patents filed.
• Interdisciplinary curiosity. Essays linking genetics to public‑policy advocacy or dance to biomechanics echo UCI’s stem‑meets‑arts culture.
• Community lift. Service in immigrant‑rights clinics, OC food‑rescue networks, or peer‑tutoring projects mirrors UCI’s Carried Forward motto.
• Resilience & context. Own challenges—wildfire evacuations, family caregiving, limited AP access—and show adaptation.
• Campus fit. Name‑drop the Beall Applied Innovation hub, UTeach program, or Aldrich Park’s 11‑acre living lab—skip generic UC praise.

The Money Question

• Projected sticker 2025‑26 (annual).
  • California resident: tuition + fees ≈ $17,400 · housing/food ≈ $19,800 → ≈ $37,200.
  • Non‑resident: add ≈ $33,500 NR tuition → ≈ $70,700.
• Blue & Gold Guarantee. CA families earning ≤ $80 k pay $0 tuition.
• Middle‑Class Scholarship. Sliding support up to $217 k family income.
• Average first‑year need‑based grant package: $27 k+; average loan load $6 k.
• Minimal merit. A few Regents’ & Chancellor’s Scholarships (~$2 k–$5 k) exist but are fiercely competitive.
• Aid deadlines. FAFSA or CADAA + Cal Grant GPA form by March  2  2026.
• Net Price Calculator. Ten‑minute run will clarify real costs—especially if you’re OOS.

Anticipated Timeline for Class of 2030

Spring  2025

• Confirm senior schedule: AP Calc BC (or multivariable), AP/IB lab science, fourth‑year language, AP Gov/Econ.
• Brainstorm ideas for the four Personal Insight Questions (PIQs).

Summer  2025

• Draft all four 350‑word PIQs; have two trusted readers sanity‑check voice.
• Deepen one signature project—publish research, scale a nonprofit, launch an app—and capture metrics.

Early Fall  2025

• Open the UC app October 1; enter A–G courses exactly as they appear on your transcript.
• Join a virtual Discover UCI session or in‑person tour; context fuels essay specificity.

November  30  2025 — Submit UC application & fee. No rec letters, no tests, no exceptions.
January  31  2026 — Update 7th‑semester grades via UC’s Academic Update.
Late March  2026 — Decisions + wait‑list invites drop.
May  1  2026 — Intent to Register + $250 deposit due.

Life in the Anteater Kingdom

• 17 : 1 student‑faculty ratio; upper‑division labs under 25 students.
• Residential vibe. 90 % of freshmen live in Mesa Court or Middle Earth (yes, Tolkien‑themed houses).
• Traditions. Midnight “Zot‑bot” scream, Aldrich Park 24‑hour study streaks, Shocktoberfest concerts, and crawling Ring Road on a custom‑built trike.
• OC advantage. Intern at Blizzard, Edwards Lifesciences, NASA JPL (90 min), or policy‑shadow in Sacramento via UCDC.
• Green cred. An all‑electric bus fleet, LEED‑Platinum buildings, and a campus farm where you can harvest kale between biotech labs.

How to Decide If UCI Fits

1. Do you crave research heft inside a test‑free, GPA‑driven UC?
2. Will a bike‑friendly, ring‑road campus with easy beach runs fuel your life balance?
3. Can you picture pivoting across disciplines—informatics one day, art‑tech the next?
4. Does Blue & Gold + Middle‑Class Scholarship make financial sense?

If you tick “yes” three times, UCI deserves a prime spot on your UC list.

Quick‑Hit Checklist

• [ ] Maintain unweighted GPA ≥ 3.9 with AP/IB rigor.
• [ ] Skip SAT/ACT prep; pour time into coursework and projects.
• [ ] Complete one impact‑measurable project by September.
• [ ] Draft four PIQs by Halloween; refine for authenticity.
• [ ] Submit UC app by Nov  30  2025—no late entries.
• [ ] File FAFSA/CADAA by Mar  2  2026.
• [ ] Celebrate with boba on Campus Drive after hitting submit.

Final Word

UC Irvine blends top‑ten public research clout with SoCal sunshine and an anteater mascot that embodies underdog ingenuity. Admission is test‑free but fiercely competitive: maxed‑out academics, a quantified impact narrative, and PIQs that radiate curiosity and resilience. Nail those, honor the timeline, and you could soon be zipping past Aldrich’s eucalyptus groves en route to a lab, a hackathon, or the Pacific.

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