UCLA Transfer Acceptance Rate: Requirements + Tips

If you aren’t one of those lucky enough to get a spot in the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as a freshman, or your goals have changed throughout your college life and feel like UCLA is now the right institution for you, then you might be curious about UCLA’s transfer acceptance rate.

You’ve come to the right place. This article will discuss the UCLA transfer acceptance rate, transfer application requirements, and strategies to boost your chances of joining this prestigious institution as a transfer student.

• What Is the Acceptance Rate for UCLA?
• UCLA Transfer Application Requirements
• Important Deadlines and UCLA Transfer Application Timeline
• Tips to Increase Your Chances of Transferring to UCLA
• What Are the Popular Majors for UCLA Transfer Students?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

What Is the Acceptance Rate for UCLA?

The UCLA transfer acceptance rate for the fall of 2024 was 22.3%. Out of the 27,167 transfer applicants, only 6,070 got admitted. Moreover, around 5,620 (or 92.6%) of successful transfer applicants came from community colleges in California.

UCLA’s transfer acceptance rate is much higher than the freshmen acceptance rate, which is currently at 9%.

UCLA transfer statistics

Below is a quick look at previous UCLA transfer acceptance rates:

UCLA transfer acceptance rates fluctuate per year. The number of applicants varies as well, but the number of admitted students usually stays near the 6,000 mark—except for 2021, which had the most applicants but the fewest admitted.

The number of admitted students can be affected by several factors, such as the quality of the applicant pool and the university’s capacity to accommodate transfer students.

So, if you want to transfer to UCLA, you’ll have to stand out from the thousands of other students by having stellar grades and a clear purpose in transferring.

UCLA Transfer Application Requirements

UCLA is known for academic excellence, sports achievements, prestigious schools, and contributions to research and innovation. When you apply as a transfer applicant, they will review your academic preparation, personal attributes, and answers to the personal insight questions.

UCLA only accepts applicants who have graduated from high school and completed two years of college-level coursework in a regular session. You also aren’t allowed to disregard any college records and apply as a freshman again since the institution doesn’t accept applicants looking for second baccalaureate degrees.

Important note: UCLA only admits transfer students during the fall. 

Academic preparation

The average GPA of admitted UCLA transfer applicants is 3.5—all of whom have also completed most or all major preparatory courses. Below are other general academic requirements:

• GPA of at least 3.2 in transferable courses
• Junior-level standing at the end of spring term before your transfer (this translates to 60 semester transferable units)
• Completing the following transferable course requirements:
  • Two courses in English composition or critical thinking and writing
  • One math course with a prerequisite of at least intermediate algebra
  • Four courses in at least two of the following: arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, physical and biological sciences
  • Major preparation requirements, which are different per major

If your chosen major doesn’t have prerequisites, or they’re not available in your current institution, you must show sincere interest in the major in other ways. These may be through completing courses that can be related to the major or explaining your interest in your personal insight responses.

Personal factors

The personal criteria are extra information that the school also considers to understand you more both in and out of the classroom. Some examples are:

• Employment while attending school
• Family responsibilities
• Military service
• Significant improvement in academics over time
• Involvement in your institution’s organizations and community service
• Other opportunities or challenges that may have shaped your educational experiences

Personal insight questions

Personal insight questions are a chance to tell the admissions officers in your own voice about what matters to you. All transfer applicants should answer one required question, which is:

Please describe how you have prepared for your intended major, including your readiness to succeed in your upper-division courses once you enroll at the university.

Then you’ll also have to choose three out of seven other questions to tackle:

• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
• Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
• What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
• Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
• What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
• Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

All questions are equal, so there will be no advantages or disadvantages to choosing some questions over others. What’s important is that you choose questions that you feel most strongly about and that can best reflect your situation. However, all questions have a word count of 350 words each.

When answering these personal insights questions, you should:

• Start early. Don’t cram. Give yourself enough time for the whole writing process—from carefully considering which questions to answer to revising your compositions.
• Be organized. You only have limited space, so make sure you answer the questions clearly and that your thoughts follow a logical structure.
• Be persuasive. Don’t just list your accomplishments, activities, or awards. Expand on them by using examples of how you achieved them, how they shaped you, and how they can help you in your goals. It may be best to focus on recent events since they have the most impact on who you are right now. Be confident and use “I” and “my” statements.
• Ask for feedback. Your answers to these questions should be personal, but asking for feedback from mentors, peers, or family can help give you an idea of how your essays come across to others.
• Revise. Grammar and spelling aren’t being graded in your answers, but they can get in the way of clarity. Don’t be afraid to revise your essays in both content and clarity multiple times to get the end product you want.

Additional requirements for international transfer applicants

UCLA has some additional requirements for international transfer applicants.

Academics

You’ll have the same requirements as local transfer, needing 60-90 semester units of credit.

UCLA also requires records from the secondary schools you attended and any national or government certificates you have earned.

English language proficiency

The university requires English language proficiency. If your school’s language of instruction is English, then you will automatically be considered proficient. However, if you have only less than 3 years of experience in which English is the main language of instruction, then you’ll have to prove your proficiency.

Some tests you can take are:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a competitive score above 100 (with sub-scores above 22)
• International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) with a score of at least 7
• Duolingo English Test (DET) with a score of at least 130

Additionally, accepted students who don’t have English as a native language will also be required to take UCLA’s English-as-a-Second-Language Placement Examination (ESLPE) the term before you enter.

If you get a low score, depending on how low it is, you will either need to take special courses in English for international students for several terms or be required to gain proficiency before starting your studies at the university.

Proof of financial ability

UCLA doesn’t give scholarships or financial aid to those who aren’t citizens or permanent residents of the US. Because of that, you’ll have to prove that you have enough funds to pay for educational and living expenses.

On top of that, you’ll also need to have adequate medical insurance while you’re enrolled in the university.

Important Deadlines and UCLA Transfer Application Timeline

Of course, to have a chance at being accepted into UCLA as a transfer student, you should be aware of the application timeline. Here are dates to remember for 2025:

Tips to Increase Your Chances of Transferring to UCLA

Now that you’ve seen UCLA transfer statistics and requirements, you might be wondering if you have what it takes to transfer. We say that there’s no harm in trying, especially if you really want to get into the institution.

With that, below are a few tips that can help you improve your chances of admission:

• Maintain a competitive GPA. Aim for a GPA above 3.5 in all transferable coursework.
• Complete major prerequisites. Successfully complete as many lower-division major prerequisites as possible with strong grades. This shows your academic readiness and sincerity in the major you’re trying to apply for.
• Engage meaningfully in extracurriculars. UCLA also highly values extracurriculars, so it would be good to participate in activities that show your commitment, leadership, and personal growth.
• Craft compelling essays. Spend time answering personal interest questions to show your unique experiences, perspectives, and motivations and show how they align with UCLA’s values—such as leadership, perseverance, and academic curiosity.
• Choose the right major. Choose a major that aligns with your strengths and interests rather than because you think it’s easy to get into. Keep in mind that UCLA expects transfer students to complete their degree within two years, so changing majors after transferring is challenging and discouraged.

Resources and support

UCLA has many resources that can help your transfer application experience better.

• ASSIST. California’s statewide transfer information site that lists important resources, such as UC Transfer Course Agreements
• Center for Community College Partnerships (CCCP). Improves the academic preparation and competitiveness of community college transfer students
• Student Transfer Outreach Mentorship Program (STOMP). A student volunteer organization that motivates and inspires students enrolled at California community colleges to consider UCs as transfer options.
• Transfer Admission Planner. Helps track your academic progress and confirm you’re meeting transfer requirements.
• Transfer Alliance Program. If your community college participates in this program, you can complete the honors or scholars program, which helps improve your chances of getting into UCLA.

What Are the Popular Majors for UCLA Transfer Students?

UCLA has at least 140 undergraduate majors. To give you an idea of how many applicants they admit, below is a table showing UCLA’s top 10 most applied to majors by transfer students and the admission rates:

Meanwhile, the table below shows statistics on UCLA’s top 10 transfer rates by major for fall 2024:

Keep in mind that some majors don’t have many applicants, resulting in a high admit rate. Meanwhile, some majors are highly selective with many applicants, resulting in a lower admit rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it hard to get into UCLA as a transfer applicant?

Yes, it can still be hard to get into UCLA as a transfer with a 2024 admission rate of 22.3%. You’ll need to maintain at least a 3.2 GPA in transferable courses while being ideally active in extracurriculars as well.

2. What is the easiest major to transfer into UCLA?

Looking purely at UCLA transfer statistics, the easiest major to transfer into is European Language and Transcultural Studies with Italian. Other easy majors to transfer into are also in the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, such as Geography, Linguistics and English, and History.

3. What is the UCLA transfer acceptance rate for community colleges?

In 2024, the UCLA transfer acceptance rate from California community colleges was 92.6%.

Takeaways

UCLA’s transfer acceptance rates are relatively higher than freshman admission rates.

• The requirements for UCLA transfer include having a minimum of 3.2 GPA, major preparation requirements, personal criteria, and answers to personal insight questions. International transfer applicants have additional requirements, such as proof of English proficiency.
• The most popular majors for UCLA transfer applicants include Business Economics, Psychology, Computer Science, Sociology, and Political Science.
• You can improve your chances of being admitted to UCLA by excelling both in academics and extracurriculars. You can also take advantage of resources and support related to the institution.
• Students might transfer to UCLA because they either didn’t make it as a freshman or only realized later on that UCLA was a better decision for them. A private consultant can help you decide early if UCLA is right for you and assist you in getting admitted.