TL;DR: UC out-of-state acceptance rates for fall 2026 ranged from 10.0% at UC Berkeley and 14.9% at UCLA to 37.2% at UC San Diego, 49.5% at UC Irvine, 63.9% at UC Santa Barbara and 71.0% at UC Davis, by an Oriel Admissions calculation from UC Office of the President tables (applicants as of January 21, 2026; admits as of June 17, 2026). At seven of the nine undergraduate campuses, out-of-state applicants were admitted at higher rates than California residents; the exceptions were UC Berkeley and UC Merced. UC estimates the 2027-28 cost for a new nonresident living on campus at $90,100. For fall 2027 entry, one application covers all nine campuses, it is filed between October 1 and November 30, 2026, UC does not consider SAT or ACT scores, and there is no Early Decision. To discuss your family’s admissions strategy, schedule a consultation.
What Are the UC Acceptance Rates for Out-of-State Students?
The table below shows first-year admit rates for every UC campus for fall 2026, split by residency. UC does not publish admit rates by residency, so these are Oriel Admissions calculations: admits from the UC Office of the President fall 2026 admissions fact sheet (offers as of June 17, 2026) divided by applicants from its preliminary application table (as of January 21, 2026). The two snapshots come from different dates, and waitlist offers after June 17 will move the final figures slightly.
| Campus | Overall | California Resident | Out-of-State | International |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | 10.5% | 12.4% | 10.0% | 5.4% |
| UCLA | 10.8% | 10.2% | 14.9% | 8.1% |
| UC San Diego | 27.2% | 24.1% | 37.2% | 27.4% |
| UC Irvine | 30.3% | 22.7% | 49.5% | 45.5% |
| UC Santa Barbara | 44.0% | 34.6% | 63.9% | 63.2% |
| UC Davis | 45.8% | 34.7% | 71.0% | 66.6% |
| UC Santa Cruz | 82.3% | 82.6% | 87.2% | 74.4% |
| UC Riverside | 88.5% | 88.7% | 96.6% | 82.3% |
| UC Merced | 96.5% | 99.1% | 85.7% | 80.0% |
Source: Oriel Admissions calculation from the UC Office of the President fall 2026 preliminary application table (as of January 21, 2026) and admissions fact sheet (offers as of June 17, 2026). Overall rates match the UC first-year admit data pages. Out-of-state refers to domestic nonresident applicants. The UC Merced resident figure includes California referral admits, which UC notes can inflate that rate.
Two patterns matter for planning. First, the out-of-state advantage grows as campuses become less selective: it is worth about 5 points at UCLA, 13 points at UC San Diego, 27 points at UC Irvine, and roughly 29 to 36 points at UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis. Second, UC Berkeley is the exception in both directions: it is the most selective campus overall for fall 2026 at 10.5%, and the only selective UC campus where an out-of-state applicant faced worse odds than a Californian; UC Merced is the other exception, at 85.7% for out-of-state applicants against 99.1% for residents. How the two flagships compare head to head is in UC Berkeley vs UCLA.
Why Do Most UC Campuses Favor Out-of-State Applicants?
The pattern is economic before it is academic. For 2026-27, the Regents set Nonresident Supplemental Tuition at $39,270, on top of systemwide tuition and fees of $15,588, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. In our view, that revenue gives most campuses a standing incentive to admit qualified out-of-state applicants. UC extended 27,672 offers to domestic out-of-state first-years systemwide for fall 2026. The exceptions are policy-driven: state law sets an intent that nonresidents make up no more than 18 percent of undergraduates at each campus, and the state has funded a plan to replace nonresident students with Californians at UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC San Diego, where the LAO says nonresident shares leveled off at 19 to 20 percent in 2025-26.
Yield completes the picture. In our experience, admitted nonresidents enroll at lower rates than Californians, because most are also weighing private universities and their own state flagships, so campuses can admit more nonresidents per seat they expect to fill. UC Berkeley and UCLA, with deep nonresident demand and a state plan to reduce nonresident shares, held out-of-state admission to 10.0% and 14.9% for fall 2026.
How Does the UC Application Differ From the Common App?
| Feature | UC Application | Common Application |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | All nine undergraduate campuses, one application | One application per college list, separate supplements |
| Writing | Answer 4 of 8 personal insight questions, up to 350 words each | 650-word personal statement plus supplemental essays |
| Recommendations | Not required or read at application; UC Berkeley invites a small share of applicants to send up to two letters | Typically one counselor and one to two teachers |
| Testing | SAT and ACT scores not considered in admission | Test-optional or required, varies by college |
| Filing period | October 1 to November 30, 2026 for fall 2027; no early round | Early Decision and Early Action common |
| GPA | UC-calculated A-G GPA from 10th and 11th grade | School-reported transcript GPA |
Sources: UC Admissions dates and deadlines, personal insight questions, and application guidance; UC Berkeley letters of recommendation FAQ.
The mechanics follow one calendar: for fall 2027, the application opened August 1, 2026, the filing period runs October 1 to November 30, 2026, decisions are released in March (some campuses earlier), and the Statement of Intent to Register is due May 1. Campuses admit from waitlists well into the summer; the fall 2026 preliminary data explicitly reflects continued waitlist activity after June 17. Every campus is covered by the systemwide test-free policy (UC is reviewing testing, with a report due in February 2027, but nothing changes for fall 2027 applicants), the UC GPA is computed differently from the school transcript, and the four personal insight questions are the main narrative element in the file. UC does not require or read letters of recommendation at the time of application, although UC Berkeley asks a small share of applicants for up to two letters, due January 10.
Which UC Campuses Belong on an Out-of-State List?
In our view, UC Berkeley and UCLA are reaches for nearly every out-of-state applicant: at 10.0% and 14.9% out-of-state admission, strong grades alone do not make either outcome predictable. UC San Diego is, in our view, the pivot of the out-of-state list: still selective at 27.2% overall and more open to nonresidents at 37.2%. UC Irvine (49.5%), UC Santa Barbara (63.9%), and UC Davis (71.0%) function as targets for students with strong A-G records, and UC Santa Cruz and UC Riverside serve as likely admits that keep a California outcome on the table.
The campus-level rates understate the competition inside majors, and major policies differ by campus. At UC Berkeley, the Computer Science BA is offered by the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society, and students admitted to that college are placed directly in their major; Berkeley’s Letters and Science college removed computer science from its high-demand list as of fall 2023, and the College of Engineering names Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences as an impacted major where a later change of major is highly unlikely. At UC San Diego, the selective majors are Data Science (including Business Data Science), Public Health, and all majors in five engineering departments: Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; continuing students need at least a 2.0 UC GPA to apply to switch, get at most two tries, and have no guarantee. Oriel Admissions gives nonresident applicants one practical rule across the system: apply directly into the intended major, choose a genuinely acceptable non-selective alternate, and never enroll planning to switch in later.
What Does UC Cost a Nonresident Family?
| UC estimate for a new nonresident, 2027-28 | On campus |
|---|---|
| UC tuition (including Nonresident Supplemental Tuition) | $57,300 |
| Campus fees | $1,900 |
| Campus housing and meals | $21,700 |
| Health insurance allowance or fee | $3,900 |
| Books, supplies and personal transportation | $5,300 |
| Total estimated cost | $90,100 |
Source: University of California, tuition and cost of attendance, estimated average costs for nonresidents, 2027-28. For California residents, UC lists 2027-28 tuition of $16,278. Campus totals vary.
Three financial facts frame the decision. First, the Tuition Stability Plan freezes each entering cohort’s tuition for up to six years, so the number above is plannable. Second, UC’s cost page describes no separate aid program for nonresidents, and in our experience nonresident families should model four years at full cost and treat any award as a bonus. Third, the residency workaround does not exist: UC says obtaining residency is extremely difficult for undergraduates with nonresident parents and that virtually all of them remain nonresidents for their entire undergraduate career. At roughly $90,000 per year, a UC seat is priced like an elite private seat, which is precisely why the admitted major and the campus tier, not the UC name alone, should drive the enrollment decision. The full decision framework is in our guide to whether UC is worth it out of state.
How Should Families Sequence a UC Application Strategy?
The UC GPA is built exclusively from 10th and 11th grade A-G coursework, which means the academic case is closed before senior year begins. Families starting early should maximize A-G rigor in those two years and verify the weighted calculation with the UC GPA calculator rather than relying on the school transcript. The personal insight questions should be selected in late spring of junior year and drafted over the summer, so that autumn is spent revising rather than producing.
Because the system has no early round, the UC application runs on a parallel track to a binding Early Decision bid at a private university, and the two strategies reinforce each other: the student files the UC application in November, submits the Early Decision application the same month, and simply withdraws the UC file if a binding offer arrives first. On the UC side, most out-of-state families we advise select four to six campuses across the reach, target, and likely bands on the single application; UC says each campus evaluates the application without knowing its status at another campus and does not consider where else a student applied, so breadth costs application fees ($80 per campus, or $95 for international applicants) but not chances. Campus-fit questions such as USC versus UCLA belong to a later stage, after the offers arrive.
Frequently Asked Questions About UC Out-of-State Admissions
At seven of the nine campuses, no. For fall 2026, out-of-state applicants were admitted at higher rates than California residents everywhere except UC Berkeley and UC Merced, by an Oriel Admissions calculation from UC Office of the President tables, with the largest advantages at UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine.
Among the campuses families most often consider, UC Davis admitted 71.0% of out-of-state applicants for fall 2026, followed by UC Santa Barbara at 63.9% and UC Irvine at 49.5%. UC Santa Cruz (87.2%) and UC Riverside (96.6%) admitted most out-of-state applicants.
UC cost pages describe no separate aid program for nonresidents, so families should plan on full cost. UC estimates $90,100 for a new nonresident living on campus in 2027-28, and UC tuition stays flat for up to six years under the Tuition Stability Plan.
Rarely. UC says obtaining residency is extremely difficult for undergraduates with nonresident parents and that virtually all nonresident undergraduates with nonresident parents remain nonresidents for their entire undergraduate career.
No. UC says each campus evaluates an application without knowing its status at another campus and does not consider where else a student applied. The cost of adding a campus is the application fee: $80 per campus, or $95 for international applicants.
No. UC says it will not consider SAT or ACT scores when making admission decisions or awarding scholarships. UC is reviewing testing, with a report due in February 2027, but nothing changes for students applying for fall 2027.
The UC system has no Early Decision or Early Action, so the UC application is filed by November 30 alongside an Early Decision application elsewhere. If the binding offer arrives in December, the student withdraws the UC application; if not, the UC applications continue to March decisions.
UC notifies fall 2027 applicants in March, some campuses earlier, and the Statement of Intent to Register is due May 1. Campuses continue admitting from waitlists after the spring, and the preliminary fall 2026 data was explicitly subject to later offers.
Sources: UC Office of the President, fall 2026 admissions fact sheet; UC Office of the President, fall 2026 preliminary application tables; University of California, fall 2026 admissions announcement; UC first-year admit data by campus; UC Admissions, dates and deadlines; UC Admissions, how applications are reviewed; UC tuition and cost of attendance; Legislative Analyst’s Office, nonresident tuition rates at UC (May 2026); UC Berkeley application FAQs; UC Berkeley College of Computing, Data Science, and Society admissions; UC Berkeley Letters and Science high-demand majors; UC San Diego selective major process.
About Oriel Admissions
Oriel Admissions is a college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey and New York. Our team pairs deep admissions expertise with a distinctive 360 approach spanning academic planning, extracurricular strategy, essays and application execution. To discuss your strategy, schedule a consultation.
