Getting in
For Fall 2025, 66,374 first-year students applied to UC Santa Cruz, 48,274 were admitted and 4,596 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 72.7%.
Source: UC Santa Cruz Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Sep 30, 2026.
By residency, first-year applicants, Fall 2025
| Applicants | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| California residents | 52,573 | 37,433 | 71.2% |
| Out-of-state | 7,248 | 6,097 | 84.1% |
| International | 6,554 | 4,745 | 72.4% |
Source: UC Santa Cruz Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1, residency table. Read Sep 30, 2026.
By school or major. UC Santa Cruz's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the whole campus, with no rate by school or major.
Source: UC Santa Cruz Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab). Read Sep 30, 2026.
Early decision and early action. UC Santa Cruz has no early decision or early action plan. The Common Data Set answers no to both.
Source: UC Santa Cruz Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Sep 30, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
You apply to UC Santa Cruz with a proposed major. One major has a limit of its own:
- Computer Science. Space is limited. If you are not offered Computer Science, UC Santa Cruz may offer you your alternate major instead, and if you accept it you cannot switch to Computer Science later.
For every other major, you have time after you arrive to prepare before you formally declare.
Source: UC Santa Cruz Admissions, Frequently Asked Questions (opens in a new tab). Read Sep 30, 2026.
Majors
75 majors across 1 school. Every bachelor's degree in UC Santa Cruz's official 2026-2027 General Catalog, with the degree it leads to. Minors, emphases and graduate programs are left out.
Bachelor's Degrees75
- Agroecology (B.A.)
- Ancient Studies (B.A.)
- Anthropology (B.A.)
- Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism (B.A.)
- Applied Mathematics (B.S.)
- Applied Physics (B.S.)
- Art & Design: Games + Playable Media (B.A.)
- Art (B.A.)
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (B.S.)
- Biology (B.A.)
- Biology (B.S.)
- Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics (B.S.)
- Biotechnology (B.A.)
- Business Management Economics (B.A.)
- Chemistry (B.A.)
- Chemistry (B.S.)
- Cognitive Science (B.S.)
- Community Studies (B.A.)
- Computer Engineering (B.S.)
- Computer Science (B.A.)Extra requirement: Space is limited. If you are offered your alternate major instead and accept it, you cannot switch to Computer Science later.
- Computer Science (B.S.)Extra requirement: Space is limited. If you are offered your alternate major instead and accept it, you cannot switch to Computer Science later.
- Computer Science: Computer Game Design (B.S.)
- Creative Technologies (B.A.)
- Critical Race and Ethnic Studies (B.A.)
- Earth Sciences (B.S.)
- Earth Sciences/Anthropology Combined Major (B.A.)
- Ecology and Evolution (B.S.)
- Economics (B.A.)
- Economics/Mathematics Combined (B.A.)
- Education, Democracy, and Justice (B.A.)
- Electrical Engineering (B.S.)
- Environmental Sciences (B.S.)
- Environmental Studies (B.A.)
- Environmental Studies/Biology Combined Major (B.A.)
- Environmental Studies/Earth Sciences Combined Major (B.A.)
- Environmental Studies/Economics Combined Major (B.A.)
- Feminist Studies (B.A.)
- Film and Digital Media (B.A.)
- Global and Community Health (B.A.)
- Global and Community Health (B.S.)
- Global Economics (B.A.)
- History (B.A.)
- History of Art and Visual Culture (B.A.)
- Jewish Studies (B.A.)
- Language Studies (B.A.)
- Latin American and Latino Studies (B.A.)
- Latin American and Latino Studies/Education, Democracy, and Justice (B.A.)
- Latin American and Latino Studies/Politics Combined (B.A.)
- Latin American and Latino Studies/Sociology Combined (B.A.)
- Legal Studies (B.A.)
- Linguistics (B.A.)
- Literature (B.A.)
- Marine Biology (B.S.)
- Mathematics (B.A.)
- Mathematics (B.S.)
- Mathematics Education (B.A.)
- Mathematics Theory and Computation (B.S.)
- Microbiology (B.S.)
- Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology (B.S.)
- Music (B.A.)
- Music (B.M.)
- Network and Digital Technology (B.A.)
- Neuroscience (B.S.)
- Philosophy (B.A.)
- Physics (Astrophysics) (B.S.)
- Physics (B.S.)
- Plant Sciences (B.S.)
- Politics (B.A.)
- Psychology (B.A.)
- Robotics Engineering (B.S.)
- Science Education (B.S.)
- Sociology (B.A.)
- Spanish Studies (B.A.)
- Technology and Information Management (B.S.)
- Theater Arts (B.A.)
Source: UCSC General Catalog 2026-2027, Bachelor's Degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Sep 30, 2026.
Source: UC Santa Cruz Admissions, Frequently Asked Questions (opens in a new tab), for the extra requirements. Read Sep 30, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC application | November 30 | Late February to mid-March | No |
One UC application covers every UC campus. It opens August 1, 2026, and you submit it between October 1 and November 30, 2026. Decisions appear on the UC Santa Cruz admissions portal.
Source: UC Santa Cruz Admissions, Important Dates to Know (opens in a new tab). Read Sep 30, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
UC Santa Cruz does not use SAT or ACT scores in its review and selection, so scores are not considered even if you send them. Scores can still be used to meet the a-g English requirement (area b) and the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement.
Source: UC Santa Cruz Admissions, First-Year Students (opens in a new tab). Read Sep 30, 2026.
The Common Data Set agrees: it answers no to using SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions.
Source: UC Santa Cruz Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8A. Read Sep 30, 2026.
Changes already in effect
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
- Math. A statistics or additional math course taken in fall 2026 or later no longer makes up for a missing or low grade in Algebra II or Math III. It still counts as an extra year of math. Seniors applying this fall: this already applies to courses you take this year.
Source: UC Admissions, Quick Reference Guide to UC Admissions (August 2026) (opens in a new tab). Read Sep 30, 2026.
- Math. From fall 2026, AP Statistics no longer meets two years of the UC math requirement. AP Precalculus (with a score of 4 or 5), AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC and IB HL Mathematics Analysis and Approaches still do.
Source: UC Admissions, Quick Reference Guide to UC Admissions (August 2026) (opens in a new tab). Read Sep 30, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked UC Santa Cruz's admission pages on September 30, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: UC Santa Cruz Admissions, Important Dates to Know (opens in a new tab). Read Sep 30, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at UC Santa Cruz, 2026-2027:
| Item | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $17,439 | $17,439 |
| Nonresident tuition | $0 | $39,270 |
| Housing (on campus) | $15,120 | $15,120 |
| Food | $6,837 | $6,837 |
| Books, course materials, supplies and equipment | $1,212 | $1,212 |
| Transportation | $993 | $993 |
| Personal expenses | $2,727 | $2,727 |
| Campus health insurance | $4,209 | $4,209 |
| Total | $48,537 | $87,807 |
UC Santa Cruz's budget for entering students living on campus. Tuition and fees are $15,588 in tuition and student services fees plus $1,851 in campus fees.
Source: UC Santa Cruz Financial Aid, Cost to Attend: 2026-27 Undergraduate Budgets for Entering Students (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 11, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $8,717 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $10,613 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,418 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,986 |
| Over $110,000 | $33,323 |
| All incomes | $17,890 |
What first-year, full-time in-state students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from UC Santa Cruz's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Sep 30, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to University of California, Santa Cruz on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
California State Polytechnic University, PomonaPomona, CA · Public74% admitted$11,531 average net price
Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR · Public78.9% admitted$19,604 average net price
San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA · Public80.4% admitted$13,760 average net price
University of California, RiversideRiverside, CA · Public86.1% admitted$14,304 average net price
California State University, FullertonFullerton, CA · Public88.1% admitted$6,555 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.