Admissions

UC Irvine acceptance rate

Last checked: 2026-10-26

The acceptance rate at University of California-Irvine is 25.6% for fall 2023. Out of 121,101 applicants, 30,962 were admitted and 6,796 enrolled.

The application numbers

FigureFall 2023
Applicants, fall 2023121,101
Admitted, fall 202330,962
Acceptance rate, fall 202325.6%
Admitted students who enrolled, fall 20236,796

How this rate compares

Against the California pilot school average of 42.7%, the rate at University of California-Irvine is 17.1 points lower, which means a smaller share of applicants were admitted.

Against the national pilot school average of 53.0%, the rate at University of California-Irvine is 27.4 points lower, which means a smaller share of applicants were admitted.

Averages here are simple averages across the pilot schools that publish a rate, 31 schools in California and 235 schools nationwide on this site.

What the acceptance rate does and does not mean

The acceptance rate is the share of applicants who were offered a place. It is worked out by dividing the number of students admitted by the number who applied, for fall 2023.

A low rate means many more people applied than the school could admit. It does not by itself prove that a school is better, that teaching is stronger, or that graduates earn more. Some schools draw very large applicant pools because applying is free or simple, and some excellent schools admit a large share of a smaller, well matched pool.

A high rate does not mean admission is automatic. Schools still set entry requirements, and popular programs inside a school can be far harder to enter than the overall rate suggests. The rate also says nothing about cost. Read it beside the total cost, the average net price, and the outcomes on the cost page for University of California-Irvine.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the acceptance rate at UC Irvine?

The acceptance rate at University of California-Irvine is 25.6% for fall 2023. It is the number admitted, 30,962, divided by the number who applied, 121,101.

How many students apply to UC Irvine each year?

In fall 2023, 121,101 students applied to University of California-Irvine, 30,962 were admitted, and 6,796 admitted students enrolled.

How selective is UC Irvine compared with other schools in California?

The average acceptance rate across the pilot schools in California that publish a rate is 42.7%, and the national average across the pilot schools on this site is 53.0%. The rate at University of California-Irvine is 25.6%.

Does a low acceptance rate mean a school is better?

No. A low rate means far more people applied than the school could admit. It says nothing on its own about teaching quality, cost, or graduate earnings, which is why this site prints the rate beside cost and outcomes figures.

How much does UC Irvine cost?

The total cost for one year at University of California-Irvine is $39,051 for in state students. The cost page on this site breaks that total into tuition, fees, books and supplies, room and board, and other expenses.

What is the graduation rate at UC Irvine?

The graduation rate at University of California-Irvine is 86%, measuring the share of a starting cohort that finished within one and a half times the normal program length.

Sources: the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, United States Department of Education. Admissions figures are for fall 2023. See the methodology page for full detail.