Admissions Factors

What UC Irvine Looks For

UC Irvine rates 7 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, application essay, extracurricular activities, talent or ability, volunteer work and work experience.

How UC Irvine rates each factor

Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.

Very important

Important

Character and personal qualities

Considered

Not considered

The numbers behind the class

Overall admit rate

28.9%

35,964 of 124,231 applicants

Early decision admit rate

No early decision

Admitted from the waitlist

Not reported

Email me what UC Irvine looks for

A link to this page, plus the comparison table for every college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

What does UC Irvine look for in applicants?

UC Irvine rates 7 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, application essay, extracurricular activities, talent or ability, volunteer work and work experience.

Does UC Irvine consider legacy status?

UC Irvine rates alumni relation as "not considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.

Does UC Irvine track demonstrated interest?

UC Irvine rates the level of an applicant's interest as "not considered".

Source: UC Irvine’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.