University of California: University Insights
- The Headmaster Counsulting
- Oct 5, 2022
- 8 min read
About the University
University of California schools, also known as UCs, are public 4-year institutions that are located across the state of California. The University of California began more than 150 years ago on a simple but revolutionary idea: that college should be available to everyone.
The University of California opened its doors in 1869 with just ten faculty members and 40 students. Today, the UC system has more than 280,000 students and 227,000 faculty and staff, with 2.0 million alum living and working around the world.
With nine campuses across California, each school offers various degrees and specialties and has different acceptance rates.
Application Requirements
High School GPA - Required
High School Rank - Neither required nor recommended
College Prep Courses - Required
SAT/ACT Scores - Neither required nor recommended
Recommendations - Neither required nor recommended
Campuses and Rankings
University | QS Rankings | US News | Forbes |
UC Berkeley | 27 | 20 | 2 |
UC Davis | 102 | 38 | 23 |
UC Irvine | 235 | 34 | 30 |
UC Los Angeles | 44 | 20 | 6 |
UC Merced | | 97 | 309 |
UC Riverside | 453 | 89 | 84 |
UC San Diego | 53 | 34 | 17 |
UC Santa Barbara | 149 | 32 | 39 |
UC Santa Cruz | 375 | 83 | 87 |
Essay Prompts ANALYSIS
The UC application essays, also known as UC Personal Insight Questions, are your way to give admissions officers a sense of your personality, your perspective on the world, and some of the experiences that have made you into who you are. The word limit for these essays is 350 words. You have the following eight prompts to choose from:
#1: Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
#2: Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem-solving, original and innovative thinking, and art, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
#3: What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
#4: Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
#5: 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?
#6: Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
#7: What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
#8: Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admission to the University of California?
We can put these eight prompts into broader categories to ease the brainstorming:
Topics 1 and 7 are about your engagement with the people, things, and ideas around you. Consider the outside world's impact on you and how you handled that impact.
Topics 2 and 6 are about your inner self, what defines you, and what makes you who you are. Consider your interior makeup--the characteristics of the inner you.
Topics 3, 4, 5, and 8 are about your achievements. Consider what you've accomplished in life and what you are proud of doing.
Essay Prompts BREAKDOWN
Prompt #1: Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
The central theme of the prompt: Leadership
When addressing this prompt, think of a leadership role that is more than just a title. It can also mean being a mentor to others, being in charge of a specific task, or taking the lead role in organizing an event or project. Brainstorm what you accomplished through this experience and what you took away from learning. You can also address your responsibilities and experience with them.
The point of this prompt is to help you highlight a leadership experience. Therefore, try to address a single leadership moment and bring it to life with your details. Make sure to describe where you were, what was happening around you, and most importantly, how you felt. You can also address the challenges you faced as a leader and how you managed to cope with them.
While addressing the experience, provide a backdrop or a frame of reference and context for your actions to help the reader understand your course of action. Then, you can explicitly talk about your actions and the reason behind them. Lastly, consider how this experience has shaped the person you have now become.
Prompt #2: 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.
The central theme of the prompt: Creative
While addressing this prompt, think of what creativity means to you. Do you have a creative skill that is important to you? What have you been able to do or accomplish with that skill? Have you used this creativity to solve a problem? What are the steps that you took to solve this problem? You can also talk about how this creativity influences you and your personality and your decision-making and if this creativity relates to your major.
While crafting your essay, remember creativity lies in your outlook: seeing the opportunity to use one of your skills in a novel situation; looking at a problem from a new angle to find the solution that no one else could see. Every person has a creative side, which can be expressed in many ways: problem-solving, original and innovative thinking, and art, to name a few. Pick the creative skill that best describes you.
You can break down this prompt into different parts and address the essay as a whole -
Describe your creativity
Connect this creativity to your overall self
Connect this creativity with your future
Make sure you answer this prompt specifically yet descriptively while providing them with a narrative of your relationship to your creativity.
Prompt #3: What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
The central theme of the prompt: Greatest Talent or Skill
You should address this prompt if there’s a talent or skill that you’re proud of and you want to share it. It’s not necessary for you to have been recognized or rewarded for this talent. Think of why this skill is essential and meaningful to you. Does this skill come naturally to you, or have you worked hard to develop it? Does this skill allow you opportunities in or outside the classroom? How do they fit into the big picture?
While addressing this prompt, you can ask yourself – what makes you proud? You can think about instances where hard work paid off. Once you know the incident you’ll be addressing in the prompt, list specifics and details. Please talk about your journey, the challenges you faced along the way, how you dealt with them, your growth, and learning from experience. Further, you can talk about how you plan to develop this talent in your college or even after college. Demonstrate how you have grown and will continue to grow as you take steps further.
Prompt #4: Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
The central theme of the prompt: Significant Educational Opportunity/Barrier
While addressing this prompt, know that an educational opportunity can be anything that has added value to your educational experience and better prepared you for college. It could be participation in honors or academic enrichment programs, enrollment in an academy geared toward an occupation or a major, or taking advanced courses that interest you — to name a few.
You can talk about any educational barrier you’ve faced, its challenges, and how you overcome or strive to overcome them. You can also reflect on the characteristics or skills you demonstrated to overcome them.
You can also break down this prompt into two separate questions: You can write about either:
How have you taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity
OR
How have you worked to overcome an educational barrier?
The “or” is critical here. You do not have to write about both parts, just one.
Prompt #5: 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?
The central theme of the prompt: Significant Challenge
While addressing this prompt, know that a challenge could be personal or something you have faced in your community or school. Think of why this challenge was significant to you. This prompt lets you talk about any obstacles you’ve faced and what you learned from that experience. Did you have support from someone else, or did you handle it alone?
Address the bigger picture when discussing the challenges – how does it affect different aspects of your life? Often, questions that ask you to describe a struggle or failure are probing for success stories. Therefore, talk about different sides and characteristics of your personality that you discovered through this challenge. How will the skills you gained dealing with this challenge help you in college and beyond?
Prompt #6: Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
The central theme of the prompt: Academic Subject
Many students have a passion for one specific academic subject area, which they can’t get enough of. If that applies to you, what have you done to further that interest? While addressing this prompt, discuss how your interest in the subject developed and highlight any experience you have had inside and outside the classroom and what you gained from your involvement.
Further, you discuss whether this interest influenced your major or future career. Are you inspired to pursue this subject further at UC, and how might you do that?
To address this prompt effectively, think about how your favorite academic subject has impacted your extracurricular pursuits, or you can also trace one of your hobbies back to its origins in the classroom.
Prompt #7: What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
The central theme of the prompt: School/Community Service
While addressing this prompt, think of community as a term encompassing a group, team, or a place —like your high school, hometown, or home. You can define community however you want; make sure you talk about your role in that community. Was there a problem that you tried to fix in your community?
You should aim to discuss your inspiration behind this service, what did you learn from your effort, and how your action benefited others? While talking about community service, refrain from starting with yourself. Instead, dig into your motivations behind the service. You do not want to pick a topic only because it sounds impressive.
Think of a moment where you felt like you made a change in your local community. It can be something small and does not necessarily have to be monumental, but it should mean a great deal to you. Bring the moment to life by adding specifics and details, and also reflect on how you hope to continue these activities.
Prompt #8: Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admission to the University of California?
The central theme of the prompt: ”What Else”?
This prompt gives you a lot of freedom in terms of writing, which also makes it difficult to approach. If there is anything about you that you want the admissions officers to know but haven't been able to find the place to address, this is your place.
Think of what you haven’t been able to share that would help you highlight a skill, talent, challenge, or opportunity that you think is crucial to your personality. Whatever topic you choose to address in this prompt, make sure it is well-detailed and brought to life with descriptions that give an insight into your character, growth, and personality.
University Statistics
UC BERKELEY
OVERVIEW
Location: Berkeley, California, United States
Type: Private Research University System
Founded: 1868
Tuition: USD 70,000/year
ADMISSIONS
Average SAT: 1330-1530
Average ACT: 30-35
Average TOFEL: 80 (iBT)
College Board Code: 4833
Application Deadlines: November
ACADEMICS
Graduate Rate: 93%
Retention Rate: 96%
Student to Faculty Ratio: NA
FAMOUS ALUMNI
Chris Pine: Actor
Robert Laughlin: Nobel laureate (1998, Physics)
Jason Kidd: American Professional Basketball Coach
Charles Yu: Science-fiction author and writer on TV shows such as “Here and Now”
Stewart Copeland: Drummer of The Police
Susan F. Rasky: Former reporter for The New York Times
Will Yun Lee: Actor (The Wolverine)
Brett Simon: Movie director
Jonny Moseley: Gold medalist in 1998 Winter Olympics
Alex Morgan: Leader of the USWNT 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup team
MAJORS AVAILABLE
African-American/Black Studies
Agricultural Economics
American Indian/Native American Studies
American/United States Studies/Civilization
Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature
Anthropology
Applied Mathematics
Architecture
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
Art/Art Studies, General
Asian Studies/Civilization
Asian-American Studies
Astrophysics
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General
Biochemistry
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biophysics
Biostatistics
Botany/Plant Biology
Buddhist Studies
Business Administration and Management, General
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
Celtic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry, General
Chinese Language and Literature
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning
Civil Engineering, General
Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Cognitive Science, General
Comparative Literature
Computer Science
Dance, General
Demography and Population Studies
Drama and Dramatics/Theater Arts, General
Dutch/Flemish Language and Literature
Economics, General
Education, General
Educational Leadership and Administration, General
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Endocrinology
Engineering Physics/Applied Physics
Engineering Science
English Language and Literature, General
Environmental Health
Environmental Studies
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Epidemiology
Film/Cinema/Media Studies
Forest Management/Forest Resources Management
Forestry, General
French Language and Literature
Geography
Geological/Geophysical Engineering
Geology/Earth Science, General
Geophysics and Seismology
German Language and Literature
Health/Health Care Administration/Management
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies
History, General
Information Science/Studies
Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies
International/Globalization Studies
Italian Language and Literature
Japanese Language and Literature
Journalism
Landscape Architecture
Latin American Studies
Latin Language and Literature
Legal Studies
Linguistics
Logic
Manufacturing Engineering
Mass Communication/Media Studies
Materials Science
Mathematics, General
Mechanical Engineering
Microbiology, General
Music, General
Natural Resources/Conservation, General
Near and Middle Eastern Studies
Neuroscience
Nuclear Engineering
Nutrition Sciences
Oceanography, Chemical and Physical
Operations Research
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
Philosophy
Physics, General
Political Science and Government, General
Psychology, General
Public Health, General
Public Policy Analysis
Range Science and Management
Rhetoric and Composition
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Scandinavian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Social Work
Sociology
Southeast Asian Studies
Spanish Language and Literature
Special Education and Teaching, General
Statistics, General
Toxicology
Urban Studies/Affairs
Vision Science/Physiological Optics
Women's Studies
UC Davis
OVERVIEW
Location: Davis, California, United States
Type: Public Land-Grant Research University
Founded: 1905
Tuition: USD 70,000
ADMISSIONS
Average SAT: 1170-1410
Average ACT: 25-31
Average TOFEL: 80 (iBT)
College Board Code: 4834
Application Deadlines: November
ACADEMICS
Graduate Rate: 87%
Retention Rate: 93%
Student to Faculty Ratio: NA
FAMOUS ALUMNI
Katherine Ferrara: Professor of radiology at Stanford University
Ethan Russell: The only rock photographer to have shot album covers for The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones
J.T. O’Sullivan: Former quarterback for the New Orleans Saints and Cincinnati Bengals
Stephen K. Robinson: NASA Astronaut
Patrick J. Miller: Known for building the largest temporary supercomputer
Scott Miller: Guitarist and singer/songwriter, founder of Game Theory and The Loud Family
Shawna Yang Ryan: Novelist, author of Water Ghosts (2009) and Green Island (2016)
Deborah Harkness: The New York Times best-selling author
Christopher Markus: Emmy Award-winning screenwriter known for Captain America: The First Avenger, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame etc.
Tiffany Lam: Beauty queen, Miss Hong Kong 2002
MAJORS AVAILABLE
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General
African Studies
African-American/Black Studies
Agricultural Economics
Agricultural Teacher Education
Agronomy and Crop Science
American Indian/Native American Studies
American/United States Studies/Civilization
Animal Behavior and Ethology
Animal Sciences, General
Anthropology
Apparel and Textiles, General
Applied Mathematics
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
Art/Art Studies, General
Asian-American Studies
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biophysics
Biostatistics
Biotechnology
Botany/Plant Biology
Business Administration and Management, General
Cell Physiology
Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry, General
Chinese Language and Literature
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning
Civil Engineering, General
Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology
Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist
Comparative Literature
Computational Mathematics
Computer Engineering, General
Computer Science
Design and Visual Communications, General
Drama and Dramatics/Theater Arts, General
East Asian Studies
Ecology
Economics, General
Education, General
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Engineering Physics/Applied Physics
Engineering, General
English Language and Literature, General
Entomology
Environmental Studies
Environmental Toxicology
Epidemiology
Evolutionary Biology
Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology
Fiber, Textile and Weaving Arts
Film/Cinema/Media Studies
Fine/Studio Arts, General
Food Science
Forensic Science and Technology
French Language and Literature
Genetics, General
Geography
Geology/Earth Science, General
German Language and Literature
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies
History, General
Human Development and Family Studies, General
Human Nutrition
Hydrology and Water Resources Science
Immunology
International Agriculture
International Relations and Affairs
Italian Language and Literature
Japanese Language and Literature
Landscape Architecture
Laser and Optical Technology/Technician
Linguistics
Materials Engineering
Mathematics, General
Mechanical Engineering
Medical Informatics
Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Microbiology, General
Molecular Biochemistry
Music, General
Natural Resources/Conservation, General
Natural Sciences
Neurobiology and Anatomy
Neuroscience
Nutrition Sciences
Pathology/Experimental Pathology
Pharmacology and Toxicology
Philosophy
Physics, General
Plant Pathology/Phytopathology
Plant Protection and Integrated Pest Management
Political Science and Government, General
Population Biology
Psychology, General
Public Health, General
Range Science and Management
Religion/Religious Studies
Russian Language and Literature
Science, Technology and Society
Sociology
Soil Science and Agronomy, General
Spanish Language and Literature
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Statistics, General
Transportation/Mobility Management
Urban Forestry
Women's Studies
UC IRVINE
OVERVIEW
Location: Irvine, California, United States
Type: Public Land-Grant Research University
Founded: 1965
Tuition: USD 48,000
ADMISSIONS
Average SAT: 1170-1420
Average ACT: 24-31
Average TOFEL: 80 (iBT)
College Board Code: 4859
Application Deadlines: November
ACADEMICS
Graduate Rate: 84%
Retention Rate: 94%
Student to Faculty Ratio: 18:1
FAMOUS ALUMNI
David Baker: Hall of Fame president and executive director
Vince Steckler: CEO of Avast Software
Tom Martin: TV writer whose credits include The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live
Vanness Wu: Taiwanese singer, actor, director, producer, member of F4 (band)
Tom Tolbert: Former NBA player and current color-commentator for ABC sports
Gary Figueroa: Silver medalist in the 1984 Olympics (water polo)
Betsy McLaughlin: CEO of Hot Topic,
Douglas R. White: Social anthropologist and network sociologist, author of Network Analysis and Ethnographic Problems
Michael V. Drake: Fifth chancellor, president of Ohio State University
Phil Tippett: Filmmaker, Star Wars, RoboCop and Jurassic Park
MAJORS AVAILABLE
Accounting
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General
African-American/Black Studies
Anatomy
Anthropology
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
Asian-American Studies
Biochemistry
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
Bioinformatics
Biology Teacher Education
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biotechnology
Botany/Plant Biology
Business Administration and Management, General
Business/Managerial Economics
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry, General
Chinese Studies
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning
Civil Engineering, General
Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Cognitive Science, General
Comparative Literature
Computer Engineering, General
Computer Science
Computer Software Engineering
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Creative Writing
Criminology
Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis
Dance, General
Demography and Population Studies
Drama and Dramatics/Theater Arts, General
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
East Asian Studies
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Economics, General
Education, General
Educational Leadership and Administration, General
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Engineering, General
English Language and Literature, General
Environmental Health
Environmental Science
Environmental Studies
Environmental Toxicology
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Epidemiology
European Studies/Civilization
Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing
Film/Cinema/Media Studies
Fine/Studio Arts, General
French Language and Literature
Game and Interactive Media Design
Genetic Counseling/Counselor
Genetics, General
Geology/Earth Science, General
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing
German Language and Literature
German Studies
Health/Health Care Administration/Management
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies
History, General
Human Biology
Humanities/Humanistic Studies
Informatics
Information Resources Management
International/Globalization Studies
Japanese Language and Literature
Korean Language and Literature
Manufacturing Engineering
Materials Engineering
Mathematics, General
Mechanical Engineering
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
Medical Science/Scientist
Microbiology and Immunology
Music Performance, General
Music, General
Musical Theatre
Neurobiology and Anatomy
Neurobiology and Behavior
Neuroscience
Nursing Science
Pathology/Experimental Pathology
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Pharmacology
Pharmacology and Toxicology
Philosophy
Physics, General
Physiology, General
Political Science and Government, General
Psychology, General
Public Health, General
Public Policy Analysis
Religion/Religious Studies
Social Psychology
Social Sciences, General
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
Statistics, General
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
Urban Studies/Affairs
Visual and Performing Arts, General
UC LOS ANGELES
OVERVIEW
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Type: Public Land-Grant Research University
Founded: 1919
Tuition: USD 69,000/year
ADMISSIONS
Average SAT: 1300-1530
Average ACT: 15-21
Average TOFEL: 100
College Board Code: 4399
Application Deadlines: January
ACADEMICS
Graduate Rate: 52%
Retention Rate: 73%
Student to Faculty Ratio: 24:1
FAMOUS ALUMNI
Andrea Ghez: Recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics
Steven Muller: Former president, Johns Hopkins University
James Franco: Academy Award-nominated actor
Conan Gray: Singer-songwriter; Youtuber
Sara Bareilles: Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and pianist
Andrei Iancu: - Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Joseph Blatchford : Third Director of the United States Peace Corps
Andrea Ghez: Recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics
Louis M. Goldstein: Professor of linguistics and psychology, Yale University
Alvin F. Poussaint: Professor of psychiatry, Harvard University
MAJORS AVAILABLE
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General
African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
African Studies
African-American/Black Studies
Agricultural Engineering
American Indian/Native American Studies
American Literature (United States)
Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature
Anthropology
Applied Economics
Applied Mathematics
Arabic Language and Literature
Archeology
Architecture
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
Art/Art Studies, General
Asian Studies/Civilization
Asian-American Studies
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General
Behavioral Neuroscience
Biochemistry
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
Bioinformatics
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biophysics
Biostatistics
Business Administration and Management, General
Business/Managerial Economics
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry, General
Chinese Language and Literature
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning
Civil Engineering, General
Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Cognitive Science, General
Community Health and Preventive Medicine
Comparative Literature
Computational Mathematics
Computer Engineering, General
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Dance, General
Dental Clinical Sciences, General
Development Economics and International Development
Drama and Dramatics/Theater Arts, General
East Asian Studies
Ecology
Economics, General
Education, General
Educational Leadership and Administration, General
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Engineering, General
English Language and Literature, General
Environmental Health
Environmental Science
Epidemiology
European Studies/Civilization
Film/Cinema/Media Studies
Financial Mathematics
French Language and Literature
Geochemistry
Geography
Geological/Geophysical Engineering
Geology/Earth Science, General
Geophysics and Seismology
German Language and Literature
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Hebrew Language and Literature
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies
History, General
Human Biology
Human/Medical Genetics
Information Science/Studies
Integrated Circuit Design Technology/Technician
International Economics
International/Globalization Studies
Islamic Studies
Italian Language and Literature
Japanese Language and Literature
Jewish/Judaic Studies
Korean Language and Literature
Latin American Studies
Latin Language and Literature
Linguistics
Manufacturing Engineering
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography
Materials Engineering
Materials Science
Mathematics, General
Mechanical Engineering
Medical Science/Scientist
Molecular Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
Molecular Pharmacology
Molecular Physiology
Molecular Toxicology
Music History, Literature, and Theory
Music, General
Musicology and Ethnomusicology
Near and Middle Eastern Studies
Neurobiology and Anatomy
Neuroscience
Pathology/Experimental Pathology
Philosophy
Physics, General
Physiology, General
Political Science and Government, General
Portuguese Language and Literature
Psychology, General
Public Administration
Public Health, General
Public Policy Analysis
Religion/Religious Studies
Russian Language and Literature
Russian Studies
Scandinavian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Scandinavian Studies
Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Social Work
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
Special Education and Teaching, General
Statistics, General
Structural Engineering
UC MERCED
OVERVIEW
Location: Merced, California, United States
Type: Public Land-Grant Research University
Founded: 2005
Tuition: USD 22,000/year
ADMISSIONS
Average SAT: 1000-1180
Average ACT: 23-32
Average TOFEL: 80 (iBT)
College Board Code: 4129
Application Deadlines: November
ACADEMICS
Graduate Rate: 69%
Retention Rate: 79%
Student to Faculty Ratio: 19:1
FAMOUS ALUMNI
Alberto Eduardo Cerpa: Professor of Mathematics
Julia Schnetzer: Researcher
Shavone Charles: Founder of Blackbirds
MAJORS AVAILABLE
Anthropology
Applied Mathematics
Behavioral Sciences
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Business Administration and Management, General
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
Chemistry, General
Cognitive Science, General
Computer Engineering, General
Economics, General
English Language and Literature, General
Environmental Science
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Geology/Earth Science, General
Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
History, General
Humanities/Humanistic Studies
Materials Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Physics, General
Political Science and Government, General
Psychology, General
Public Health, General
Sociology
Visual and Performing Arts, General
UC RIVERSIDE
OVERVIEW
Location: Riverside, California, United States
Type: Public Land-Grant Research University
Founded: 1907
Tuition: USD 38,000/year
ADMISSIONS
Average SAT: 1130-1330
Average ACT: 21-29
Average TOFEL: 80 (iBT), 550 (Paper)
College Board Code: 4839
Application Deadlines: November
ACADEMICS
Graduate Rate: 76%
Retention Rate: 88%
Student to Faculty Ratio: 24:1
FAMOUS ALUMNI
Amanda M. Brown: Professor of neurology and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Barbara Hambly: Novelist and screenwriter
Pat Hill: Head football coach of Fresno State
Philip Michael Thomas: Actor, Miami Vice
Lisa Kekaula: Lead singer for The Bellrays
Mark Takano: Current U.S. House of Representative for the 41st District
Shruti Kapoor: Economist, women's right's activist, and social entrepreneur
Ronald O. Loveridge: Mayor of Riverside, California
Andrea Smith: Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Cultural Studies, Nobel Peace Prize nominee
Robert Rosenthal: Professor of psychology, former chair of Harvard's psychology department
MAJORS AVAILABLE
Accounting
African-American/Black Studies
American Indian/Native American Studies
Anthropology
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
Art/Art Studies, General
Asian Studies/Civilization
Asian-American Studies
Biochemistry
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
Bioinformatics
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biomedical Sciences, General
Botany/Plant Biology
Business Administration and Management, General
Business/Managerial Economics
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry, General
Chinese Language and Literature
Cinematography and Film/Video Production
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Comparative Literature
Computer Engineering, General
Computer Science
Creative Writing
Dance, General
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Economics, General
Education, General
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Engineering, General
English Language and Literature, General
Entomology
Environmental Science
Environmental Toxicology
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
French Language and Literature
Geology/Earth Science, General
Geophysics and Seismology
German Studies
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies
History, General
International Relations and Affairs
International/Globalization Studies
Japanese Language and Literature
Latin American Studies
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Linguistics
Materials Engineering
Mathematics, General
Mechanical Engineering
Microbiology, General
Music, General
Near and Middle Eastern Studies
Neuroscience
Philosophy
Physical Sciences, General
Physics, General
Plant Pathology/Phytopathology
Political Science and Government, General
Public Administration
Public Policy Analysis
Religion/Religious Studies
Russian Language and Literature
Sociology
Southeast Asian Studies
Spanish Language and Literature
Statistics, General
Sustainability Studies
Visual and Performing Arts, General
UC SAN DIEGO
OVERVIEW
Location: La Jolla, San Diego, California, United States
Type: Public Land-Grant Research University
Founded: 1960 Tuition: USD 64,000/year
ADMISSIONS
Average SAT: 1250-1490
Average ACT: NA
Average TOFEL: 83 (iBT), 550 (Paper)
College Board Code: 4836
Application Deadlines: November
ACADEMICS
Graduate Rate: 87%
Retention Rate: NA
Student to Faculty Ratio: NA
FAMOUS ALUMNI
Nick Woodman: Founder, and CEO of GoPro
Bill Atkinson: Co-developer of the Macintosh computer.
Margaret Allen: First female heart transplant surgeon
Ricardo Chavira: Actor, notably of Desperate Housewives
Greg Benford: Nebula Award winner
Mark Applebaum: Composer and Former Professor of Music at Stanford University
George Blumenthal: Chancellor of the University of California, Santa Cruz
Kathleen (Kate) Rubin: NASA Astronaut. First person to sequence DNA in space.
Micha Cárdenas: Contemporary artist
Greg Papadopoulos: Executive VP and CTA of Sun Microsystems
MAJORS AVAILABLE
Accounting
African-American/Black Studies
American Indian/Native American Studies
Anthropology
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
Art/Art Studies, General
Asian Studies/Civilization
Asian-American Studies
Biochemistry
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
Bioinformatics
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biomedical Sciences, General
Botany/Plant Biology
Business Administration and Management, General
Business/Managerial Economics
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry, General
Chinese Language and Literature
Cinematography and Film/Video Production
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Comparative Literature
Computer Engineering, General
Computer Science
Creative Writing
Dance, General
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Economics, General
Education, General
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Engineering, General
English Language and Literature, General
Entomology
Environmental Science
Environmental Toxicology
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
French Language and Literature
Geology/Earth Science, General
Geophysics and Seismology
German Studies
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies
History, General
International Relations and Affairs
International/Globalization Studies
Japanese Language and Literature
Latin American Studies
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Linguistics
Materials Engineering
Mathematics, General
Mechanical Engineering
Microbiology, General
Music, General
Near and Middle Eastern Studies
Neuroscience
Philosophy
Physical Sciences, General
Physics, General
Plant Pathology/Phytopathology
Political Science and Government, General
Public Administration
Public Policy Analysis
Religion/Religious Studies
Russian Language and Literature
Sociology
Southeast Asian Studies
Spanish Language and Literature
Statistics, General
Sustainability Studies
Visual and Performing Arts, General
UC SANTA BARBARA
OVERVIEW
Location: Santa Barbara-Isla Vista, California, United States
Type: Public Land-Grant Research University
Founded: 1891 Tuition: USD 70,000/year
ADMISSIONS
Average SAT: 1230-1480
Average ACT: 26-31
Average TOFEL: 80 (iBT), 550 (Paper)
College Board Code: 4835
Application Deadlines: November
ACADEMICS
Graduate Rate: 83%
Retention Rate: 91%
Student to Faculty Ratio: 17:1
FAMOUS ALUMNI
Michael Douglas: Two-time Academy Award winner
Gwyneth Paltrow: Actress and businesswoman who has also won a Golden Globe Award
Anders Dahlvig: Former CEO and President of IKEA
Robby Krieger: Guitarist and songwriter, original member of The Doors
Gregg Araki: Film director, producer, and screenwriter; winner of a Cannes Film Festival award
Leroy Chiao: Astronaut and commander of Expedition 10 aboard International Space Station
Anders Dahlvig: Former CEO and President of IKEA
Kazuhiro Tsuga: Current President of Panasonic
Josh Berman: Entrepreneur; co-founder and former Chief Operating Officer of Myspace.com
Audra Lowe: Television host of The Broadway Channel and formerly The Better Show
MAJORS AVAILABLE
Actuarial Science
African-American/Black Studies
Anthropology
Applied Mathematics
Aquatic Biology/Limnology
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
Art/Art Studies, General
Asian Studies/Civilization
Asian-American Studies
Biochemistry
Biological and Physical Sciences
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biopsychology
Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry, General
Chinese Language and Literature
Cinematography and Film/Video Production
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Comparative Literature
Computer Engineering, General
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Counseling Psychology
Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
Dance, General
Drama and Dramatics/Theater Arts, General
Early Childhood Education and Teaching
East Asian Studies
Ecology
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Economics, General
Education, General
Educational Psychology
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Elementary Education and Teaching
English Language and Literature, General
Environmental Studies
Film/Cinema/Media Studies
Fine/Studio Arts, General
French Language and Literature
Geography
Geology/Earth Science, General
Geophysics and Seismology
German Language and Literature
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies
History, General
International/Globalization Studies
Italian Language and Literature
Italian Studies
Japanese Language and Literature
Latin American Studies
Linguistics
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography
Marine Sciences
Materials Engineering
Mathematics, General
Mechanical Engineering
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Molecular Biology
Music, General
Pharmacology
Philosophy
Physics, General
Political Science and Government, General
Portuguese Language and Literature
Psychology, General
Religion/Religious Studies
Secondary Education and Teaching
Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Statistics, General
Visual and Performing Arts, General
Women's Studies
Zoology/Animal Biology
UC SANTA CRUZ
OVERVIEW
Location: Santa Cruz, California, United States
Type: Public Land-Grant Research University
Founded: 1965
Tuition: USD 70,000/year
ADMISSIONS
Average SAT: 1200-1380
Average ACT: 24-30
Average TOFEL: 80 (iBT)
College Board Code: 4860
Application Deadlines: November
ACADEMICS
Graduate Rate: 75%
Retention Rate: 89%
Student to Faculty Ratio: 24:1
FAMOUS ALUMNI
Susan Wojcicki: CEO of YouTube
Don Lane: Former mayor of Santa Cruz, California
Debra Fischer: Professor of Astronomy at Yale University, planet finder
Austin E. Quigley: Dean of Columbia College of Columbia University
Lisa Lowe: Professor of American Studies at Yale
Hector Tobar: Los Angeles Times columnist, author, winner of Pulitzer Prize in 1992
Jonah Peretti: Founder of BuzzFeed and Huffington Post
Steven Hawley: Astronaut, Professor of Physics at the University of Kansas
Lee Holloway: Co-founder of Cloudflare
Jayne Ann Krentz: New York Times bestselling author
MAJORS AVAILABLE
Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects
Anthropology
Applied Linguistics
Applied Mathematics
Archeology
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
Art/Art Studies, General
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Behavioral Sciences
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
Bioinformatics
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biomedical Sciences, General
Business/Managerial Economics
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
Chemistry, General
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Cognitive Science, General
Community Organization and Advocacy
Comparative Literature
Computational and Applied Mathematics
Computer Engineering, General
Computer Science
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia
Documentary Production
Drama and Dramatics/Theater Arts, General
Ecology
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Economics, General
Educational Evaluation and Research
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
English Language and Literature, General
Environmental Science
Environmental Studies
Environmental Toxicology
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General
Ethnic Studies
Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
Geology/Earth Science, General
German Studies
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies
History, General
International Economics
Italian Studies
Jewish/Judaic Studies
Legal Studies
Linguistics
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography
Mathematical Statistics and Probability
Mathematics, General
Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation
Molecular Biochemistry
Music Performance, General
Music Theory and Composition
Musicology and Ethnomusicology
Natural Sciences
Network and System Administration/Administrator
Neuroscience
Oceanography, Chemical and Physical
Philosophy
Physical Sciences, General
Physics, General
Plant Sciences, General
Political Science and Government, General
Psychology, General
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
Systems Engineering
Technical and Scientific Communication
Women's Studies
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