UC Santa Cruz

UC Santa Cruz GPA Requirements

UC Santa Cruz reports a middle-50% high school GPA of 3.79–4.20 on a weighted scale. It describes a recent first-year class and is not a minimum.

GPA middle 50%

3.79–4.20

weighted scale

Acceptance rate

66%

National average GPA

3.11

class of 2019, unweighted

How to read UC Santa Cruz's number

Colleges read a GPA next to the courses behind it. A slightly lower GPA earned in the hardest schedule your school offers usually reads better than a higher one without it.

Because this figure is on a weighted scale, compare it with your GPA on the same scale. For a UC campus that means your UC GPA: calculate it here.

Keep these numbers

Email me UC Santa Cruz's GPA data

The figures on this page, plus a link to compare them with every other college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

What GPA do you need for UC Santa Cruz?

UC Santa Cruz reports a middle-50% high school GPA of 3.79–4.20 on a weighted scale. It is not a cutoff: a quarter of the class came in below the bottom of that range. Cohort: Fall 2026 admitted first-year applicants (UC systemwide first-year admit data). The University of California does set a minimum to be reviewed, 3.0 for California residents and 3.4 for out-of-state applicants, calculated its own way.

Is UC Santa Cruz's GPA weighted or unweighted?

Weighted. The 3.79–4.20 includes extra points for honors, AP, or IB courses, so it cannot be compared directly with an unweighted 4.0-scale GPA.

GPA: Fall 2026 admitted first-year applicants (UC systemwide first-year admit data). Source. We show GPA figures on the scale each school publishes and never convert between scales.