Admissions Factors

What UC Santa Cruz Looks For

UC Santa Cruz rates 4 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, application essay and state residency.

How UC Santa Cruz rates each factor

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

Very important

Important

Considered

Not considered

The numbers behind the class

Overall admit rate

72.7%

48,274 of 66,374 applicants

Early decision admit rate

No early decision

Admitted from the waitlist

41.1%

2,648 of 6,444 who stayed on it

Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 3.87.

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

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Frequently asked questions

What does UC Santa Cruz look for in applicants?

UC Santa Cruz rates 4 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, application essay and state residency.

Does UC Santa Cruz consider legacy status?

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

Does UC Santa Cruz track demonstrated interest?

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

What is UC Santa Cruz's waitlist acceptance rate?

6,444 students stayed on the waitlist and 2,648 were admitted, a rate of 41.1%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.

Source: UC Santa Cruz’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.