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University of California, Irvine

Irvine, California · Public, a large city · 30,197 undergraduates

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Is it hard to get into UC Irvine?

The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.

Acceptance rate
28.6%
121,101 applied
SAT, middle half
Not published
Not used for admission
ACT, middle half
Not published
Not used for admission
Test scores this year
Not used at all
22% of admitted students enrolled
What they look at
  • High school GPARequired
  • Class rankRequired
  • Courses takenRequired
  • College-prep programRequired
  • EssayRequired

How much does UC Irvine cost?

Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.

Tuition and fees, California residents
$16,235
Tuition and fees, out of state
$53,837
A full year, sticker price
$39,170
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$13,866
Students who got federal aid

What a year cost, by family income

Family incomeAverage paid after grants
Under $30,000$6,160
$30,001 to $48,000$6,609
$48,001 to $75,000$9,897
$75,001 to $110,000$14,658
Over $110,000$30,831
Room and board on campus
$19,653 a year; $20,516 off campus
Books and supplies
$1,543 a year
The school's own grants
56% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $10,164

Tuition over the years

Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.

$0K$16K$31K$47K$62K201220142016201820202022Out of stateCalifornia residents

How much do UC Irvine students borrow?

Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.

Typical debt at graduation
$12,821
About $146 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
20.6%
Get a Pell Grant
37%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
3.2%

What do UC Irvine graduates earn?

Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.

Six years after starting
$61,876
Ten years after starting
$83,432
Middle half: $56,412 to $122,350
Best-paid program, five years out
$138,326
Computer Science
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$39,825
Dance

Do UC Irvine students finish?

Of the students who started full time, first time.

Back for second year
94%
Graduate in six years
86.6%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
88% graduated
8% transferred, 0% still enrolled

Who goes to UC Irvine?

Women
56.1%
First in their family at college
44%
Part-time
2.1%
Students per teacher
19
Background
White 13%, Hispanic 27%, Black 2%, Asian 38%, Two or more 6%, International 12%
Housing
Campus housing, 15,544 beds

What do UC Irvine graduates earn, by program?

Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.

Computer science

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Computer and Information Sciences, General180$57,136$109,985$16,568
Computer Programming53HiddenHidden$16,227
Computer Science1,075$98,883$138,326$14,000
Computer Software and Media Applications102$37,465$91,034$16,416
Information Science/Studies0HiddenHiddenHidden

Engineering

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering168$65,391$103,291$10,947
Biomedical/Medical Engineering241$69,246$106,107$15,009
Chemical Engineering99$73,766$95,411$15,500
Civil Engineering174$73,616$99,539$12,000
Computer Engineering477$89,393$128,214$15,500
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering179$82,997$124,395$12,526
Engineering, General0HiddenHiddenHidden
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering31$68,811$85,524Hidden
Materials Engineering46$76,070$108,340Hidden
Mechanical Engineering492$75,741$102,266$13,000

Business and commerce

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Business Administration, Management and Operations790$55,609$93,750$10,500
Business/Managerial Economics1,069$51,405$81,049$13,000
Management Information Systems and Services106$63,127$108,800$11,000

Nursing

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing93$95,269$123,321$11,000

Health sciences and kinesiology

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration198$37,633$91,431$12,000
Public Health770$41,417$70,273$12,551

Life sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology62$48,315HiddenHidden
Biology, General1,550$29,433$70,427$13,000
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology0HiddenHiddenHidden
Botany/Plant Biology0HiddenHiddenHidden
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences20HiddenHiddenHidden
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology30HiddenHiddenHidden
Genetics20HiddenHiddenHidden
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology50$34,101HiddenHidden
Natural Resources Conservation and Research121$44,994$73,630$13,686
Neurobiology and Neurosciences118$29,282Hidden$8,500
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences25HiddenHiddenHidden

Math and physical sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Chemistry252$46,852$81,231$11,000
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences68$40,413$73,642$13,500
Mathematics457$49,371$82,200$11,000
Physics153$38,899$96,693$10,605

Social sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Anthropology106$33,170$53,718$13,433
Area Studies34$39,731HiddenHidden
Criminology916$38,377$63,295$12,000
Economics767$50,385$88,917$11,253
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies60$39,189$50,015$15,225
Journalism67$35,149$56,480$10,428
Political Science and Government536$40,159$72,430$14,226
Psychology, General956$34,173$59,819$12,209
Research and Experimental Psychology1,184$34,282$60,543$11,978
Social Sciences, General41$46,989$75,514Hidden
Sociology487$37,841$60,983$10,000
Urban Studies/Affairs138$44,874$64,892$12,750

Arts and humanities

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics7HiddenHiddenHidden
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics20HiddenHiddenHidden
English Language and Literature, General293$30,536$58,564$11,971
History141$25,118$53,620$12,959
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services12HiddenHiddenHidden
Philosophy80$25,468$74,171$14,800
Religion/Religious Studies0HiddenHiddenHidden
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics56$39,530$67,995$13,050

Education (teaching)

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Education, General522$33,146$60,323$9,016
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas24HiddenHiddenHidden

Fine and performing arts

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Dance76$30,593$39,825$19,297
Design and Applied Arts0Hidden$96,310Hidden
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft177$27,442$44,714$11,000
Film/Video and Photographic Arts317$30,830$59,908$12,853
Fine and Studio Arts216$27,801$44,312$12,500
Music48Hidden$57,300$14,923

Architecture and design

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Environmental Design0HiddenHiddenHidden

General arts and science (major chosen later)

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Classical and Ancient Studies0HiddenHiddenHidden
Cognitive Science62HiddenHidden$15,357
Human Biology223$25,916Hidden$14,750
International/Globalization Studies235$41,986$63,971$10,000
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities0HiddenHiddenHidden
Mathematics and Computer Science93$80,424Hidden$11,300
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other121$41,408$57,442$13,281

Compare UC Irvine with other universities

Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.

Where these numbers come from

College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.

How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.

Careerhelp is not affiliated with University of California, Irvine. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.

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