University of California, Santa Cruz

What UC Santa Cruz's own numbers say, from its Common Data Set 2025-26.

All 2 insights at UC Santa Cruz PRO

3 more things the data says PRO

1. 6,444 students stayed on the waitlist and 2,648 were admitted from it (41.1%).
2. 10% of admitted students chose to enroll, lower than 96% of similar colleges.
3. Applications rose 17% from 2018-19 to 2025-26 (56,634 to 66,374).

What students say PRO

From students' own posts on Reddit and admissions forums: self-reported, unverified, never used in your odds.

• Computer science and engineering were the top intended majors, and many such admits had research, startups, or projects like apps, games and robotics.
• Many admits had high scores and grades for a UC, with SAT mostly 1470 to 1590 and unweighted GPAs from about 3.6 to 4.0.
• Many founded or led a nonprofit, club or program, like STEM outreach, a civics nonprofit, a chemistry club or a robotics nonprofit.
• Many added research or internships, like a paid biotech internship, a professor-led project, a conference paper or policy internships.
• Many were team captains or athletes, including club soccer, wrestling, track, tennis and mock trial, alongside academics.
• Posted in-state admits report unweighted UC GPAs from about 3.7 to 4.0, and few admits are seen below 3.7, though one with a 3.54 got in.
• Students report UCSC waitlists are not ranked and admits swing widely by year, from about 1,600 to over 10,000 in recent years.
• Students report decisions have come in two waves, late February and mid-March, though this cycle came in one batch.
• Students report Regents and Dean's scholarships are not limited to early admits, with an unclaimed award passed to another student.
• Students report UCSC is test-blind, reviews on 13 criteria, and major choice does not affect selection, though high-demand majors have limited capacity.

Every number, year by year: University of California, Santa Cruz on Open College Data. Something wrong? Suggest a correction.