Acceptance Rate
29%
Avg. SAT
1490
75th percentile
“UC Irvine drops you into a meticulously planned Orange County oasis where anteaters lead the charge in bio-tech breakthroughs and sun-drenched study sessions.”
Irvine, CA
Location
Large City
Campus Setting
You arrive at UC Irvine, born in 1965 from the ashes of a former Marine Corps air station on land donated by the Irvine Company, transforming a sleepy ranch into a bustling research powerhouse amid California's youngest master-planned city. Irvine's streets, engineered for safety and order with more parks than anywhere else in the U.S., cradle UCI's 1,500-acre campus—think palm-lined paths circling a vast grassy heart called Aldrich Park. Students who thrive here are driven grinders from diverse backgrounds (over half Asian American, many first-gen), drawn to collaborative ambition rather than cutthroat Ivy vibes; you'll fit if you love structured suburbia, endless bike rides to class, and proximity to beaches without LA chaos. But tradeoffs hit hard: the sterile planned perfection stifles spontaneous urban energy, forcing car dependency for nightlife, and the sheer scale (31,000 undergrads) can make you feel like one palm tree in a forest.
Photo Gallery
+21
+13
Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
Test-optional schools still weigh strong scores. Submitting can help.
Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
In UCI's classrooms, you navigate massive lecture halls for intro bio or CS courses—where the world's top feeder for med school pumps out 1,000 premeds yearly—then dive into undergrad research labs at the powerhouse biological sciences department or the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, ranked among the nation's elite for AI and game design. Professors, backed by a 18:1 ratio that means TAs handle grunt work, push hands-on chaos theory models (nod to UCI's math legacy) or circuit design in engineering; intellectual life buzzes with seminars where you'll debate climate solutions at the interdisciplinary Newkirk Center. Yet honesty check: large size dilutes seminar intimacy compared to smaller UCs like Santa Cruz, and weeder courses in STEM weed out the unprepared fast.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
30,204 undergrad • 7,093 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
15%
Black / African American
2%
Hispanic / Latino
24%
Asian
35%
Other / Multi-racial
24%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Irvine, CA
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
Your week pulses with Anteater spirit: Monday grind in the massive Anteater Learning Pavilion, Wednesday beach volleyball on the intramural fields, Friday Shockoberfest with oompah bands and unlimited root beer floats in Aldrich Park. Campus hums diverse—think boba runs amid 1,000+ clubs from K-pop dance to hackathons—fueled by Greek life (15% join) and D1 basketball packed into Bren Events Center. Housing clusters like hilly Mesa Court (home to 5,000 freshmen) foster bonds through themed floors, but upperclassmen scatter to off-campus apartments in car-centric Irvine. Vibe skews studious-party hybrid, safe as houses (safest big city in America), yet challenges lurk: scorching 90-degree summers test your resolve, social cliques form along ethnic lines, and the suburban bubble demands initiative to escape boredom—no walkable bars here.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
Big West Conference
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
Yes
Navy
No
Air Force
Yes
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Recognized student veteran organization
Yes
Member of DoD Voluntary Educational Partnership MOU
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
Apply for Financial Aid
Complete the FAFSA to unlock grants, scholarships, and federal loans.
Costs shown are before financial aid. Most students receive some form of aid. Complete the FAFSA to see what you qualify for.
Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
94%
4 Years Graduation Rate
76%
6 Years Graduation Rate
86%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$80,735
94% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at University of California-Irvine and return in the fall. 76% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 86% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
76%
4-5 years
10%
6-8 years
1%
Non-grad
13%
Let’s find your perfect tutor
Answer a few quick questions. We’ll recommend the right plan and match you with a top 5% tutor.
Key Statistics
Type
Public
Tuition
$11,564
Acceptance
29%
Undergrads
30,204
4-Year Grad Rate
76%
Endowment
$796M
Irvine, CA 92697
Explore More