California Resident
Out of State (USA)
International
Letters & Science (Most Majors)
School of Engineering (Highly Competitive)
School of Nursing (Extremely Competitive)
Arts / Architecture / TFT (Portfolio/Audition Based)
Average (School clubs, some volunteering)
Strong (Leadership roles, awards, consistent dedication)
Exceptional (State/National awards, major impact, unique talent)
*Disclaimer: This calculator is an educational tool based on historical trends. UCLA uses a holistic review process. No calculator can guarantee admission or account for all nuances of an application.
How UCLA Determines Admission
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is the most applied-to university in the nation, making admission incredibly competitive. Unlike many other universities, the UC system uses its own method for calculating GPA and does not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission decisions (test-blind policy).
The admissions committee employs a "Holistic Review" process, meaning they look at the applicant as a whole rather than just a set of numbers. Key factors include:
Academic History: Strength of curriculum (AP, IB, Honors) and grades in "a-g" courses.
Personal Insight Questions (PIQs): The quality of your essays and how well you articulate your experiences, leadership, and challenges.
Achievements: Awards, extracurricular activities, and special talents.
Context: Educational opportunities available at your specific high school.
Understanding the Weighted UC GPA
UCLA focuses heavily on the "Weighted Capped GPA" and the "Weighted Uncapped GPA". To be competitive, most successful applicants have a weighted GPA above 4.0. For the Fall 2023 admitted class, the middle 25%-75% range for fully weighted GPA was 4.37 – 4.74.
Residency and Competition
While UCLA is a public university intended to serve California residents, the competition is fierce across all demographics.
CA Residents: Typically have a slightly higher acceptance rate than out-of-state applicants, but the sheer volume of applications keeps the rate low (typically around 9-11%).
Out-of-State: Often face lower acceptance rates and higher tuition costs. The academic bar is frequently higher.
International: Extremely competitive, often requiring near-perfect academic records.
College Divisions Matter
The acceptance rate varies significantly by the specific college within the university. The College of Letters and Science generally admits the most students. However, the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and the School of Nursing have much lower acceptance rates due to limited capacity and high demand. Schools like Arts and Architecture or Theater, Film, and Television (TFT) rely heavily on supplemental portfolios or auditions.
function calculateUCLAChance() {
// 1. Get Inputs
var gpa = parseFloat(document.getElementById('ucla_weighted_gpa').value);
var honors = parseInt(document.getElementById('ucla_honors_count').value);
var residency = document.getElementById('ucla_residency').value;
var major = document.getElementById('ucla_major_category').value;
var ecs = document.getElementById('ucla_ecs').value;
// 2. Validation
if (isNaN(gpa) || gpa 5.0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Weighted GPA between 0.0 and 5.0.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(honors) || honors = 4.6) score += 60;
else if (gpa >= 4.4) score += 50;
else if (gpa >= 4.2) score += 40;
else if (gpa >= 4.0) score += 25;
else if (gpa >= 3.7) score += 10;
else score += 0; // Below 3.7 is very difficult for UCLA
// Course Rigor Scoring (Honors/AP/IB count)
if (honors >= 15) score += 20;
else if (honors >= 10) score += 15;
else if (honors >= 5) score += 10;
else score += 2;
// Extracurriculars / PIQs
if (ecs === 'exceptional') score += 25;
else if (ecs === 'strong') score += 15;
else score += 5; // average
// Residency Multiplier (Slight adjustment)
// CA residents get a slight volume preference, OOS/Intl is harder raw stats wise
var residencyFactor = 1.0;
if (residency === 'out_of_state') residencyFactor = 0.9;
if (residency === 'international') residencyFactor = 0.85;
// Major Difficulty Multiplier
var majorFactor = 1.0;
if (major === 'engineering') majorFactor = 0.6; // Much harder
if (major === 'nursing') majorFactor = 0.3; // Extremely hard (~1-2% rate)
if (major === 'arts') majorFactor = 0.5; // Talent dependent, hard to predict
// Calculate Final Raw Score
var finalScore = score * residencyFactor * majorFactor;
// Map Score to Probability Percentage
// UCLA's overall rate is ~9%. Even perfect candidates rarely exceed 35-40% probability due to lottery nature.
var probability = 0;
// Mapping curve
if (finalScore >= 95) probability = 45; // Cap at 45% (Unpredictable)
else if (finalScore >= 80) probability = 25 + ((finalScore – 80) * 1.33);
else if (finalScore >= 60) probability = 10 + ((finalScore – 60) * 0.75);
else if (finalScore >= 40) probability = 2 + ((finalScore – 40) * 0.4);
else probability = 1; // Minimum chance
// Adjust for hard floors
if (gpa < 3.0) probability = 0; // UC Eligibility floor
if (gpa 99) probability = 99;
// Determine Category Text
var categoryText = "";
var color = "";
if (probability >= 30) {
categoryText = "Strong Candidate (Target/Reach)";
color = "#28a745"; // Green
} else if (probability >= 15) {
categoryText = "Competitive Applicant (Reach)";
color = "#F2A900"; // Gold
} else if (probability >= 5) {
categoryText = "Possible (High Reach)";
color = "#fd7e14"; // Orange
} else {
categoryText = "Unlikely (Far Reach)";
color = "#dc3545"; // Red
}
// 4. Display Result
var resultBox = document.getElementById('result');
var percentDiv = document.getElementById('percentage_result');
var catDiv = document.getElementById('category_result');
resultBox.style.display = 'block';
percentDiv.innerHTML = "Estimated Acceptance Chance: " + probability + "%";
catDiv.innerHTML = "Assessment:" + categoryText + "" +
"Based on your Weighted GPA of " + gpa + " and your selected profile.";
}