The entrance requirements established by the University follow guidelines set forth in the Master Plan, which requires that the top one-eighth of the state's high school graduates, as well as those transfer students who have successfully completed specified college work, be eligible for admission to the University of California. These requirements are designed to ensure that all eligible students are adequately prepared for University-level work.

Mindful of its mission as a public institution, the University of California has had an historic commitment to providing a place within the University for all eligible applicants who are residents of California, and to achieving, on each of its campuses, a student body that both meets the University's high academic standards and encompasses the cultural, racial, geographic, economic and social diversity of California itself.

Each campus makes every effort to provide a place for California residents who meet the minimum eligibility requirements and who file an application during the appropriate filing period. (The minimum admissions requirements are described in Admission as a Freshman.) However, the number of spaces provided depends on the level of state funding the University receives.

If the number of applicants exceeds the spaces available for a particular campus or major -- as is often the case -- the campus uses criteria to select students that exceed the minimum requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements, therefore, is not enough to gain admission to many UC campuses and programs.

When there are more eligible applicants than spaces available, each campus selects students on the basis of academic achievement and promise, as well as potential to contribute to the educational environment and intellectual vitality of the campus.

Selection criteria are described in Introducing the University, Answers for Transfers and some campus catalogs. The criteria vary from year to year and from campus to campus according to the number and qualifications of applicants to each campus and program.

If you have questions about admissions policies, selection criteria or the level of competition for admission to a particular program, contact the Admissions Office at the appropriate campus.

The UC Directory lists Admissions Office contact information for each campus. The University of California systemwide admissions information page contains links to campus catalogs and Admissions Office home pages for each campus.

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