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What acceptance rate can I expect if I apply to UCLA?

29 Sept 2026 · Answered by Yasika Choudhary · 1 min read
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UCLA's acceptance rate is only around 9 percent, making it a highly competitive public research university. It ranks among the top 50 universities in the world and 14th in the USA, and is home to over 46,600 students, including more than 6,300 international students.

Yasika Choudhary
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If UCLA is on your list, you should know upfront just how selective it is. UCLA's acceptance rate sits at only around 9 percent, so you will need a genuinely strong application to compete for a spot at this highly ranked public research university.

UCLA Admissions and Ranking Snapshot

MetricDetail
Acceptance rateAround 9%
World rankingTop 50 universities globally
USA ranking14th
Total students46,600+
Average annual tuitionAround INR 30 L - 40 L

Why UCLA Remains Competitive

UCLA has produced 17 MacArthur Fellows, 16 Nobel Prize winners and 3 Pulitzer Prize winners, and its faculty have collectively won 75 Nobel prizes across fields like Economics, Medicine, Chemistry and Physics, which helps explain why competition for admission stays so intense.

My Advice

Given the roughly 9 percent acceptance rate, build a genuinely differentiated application rather than a generic one, highlighting specific reasons you want UCLA's particular programs. Apply to a realistic mix of reach and safer schools alongside UCLA so your overall admission chances stay balanced.

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