California has one of the best state university systems in the country, and three of the schools below made my list of top public universities. The nine universities that offer undergraduate degrees are listed here from the most to least selective. Follow the profile link to get data related to admission standards, costs, and financial aid.
San Francisco also has a University of California campus, but it is dedicated exclusively to graduate study.
Be sure to check out these other University of California articles:
- UC graduation rates, aid and enrollment
- SAT score comparison for UC campuses
- ACT score comparison for UC campuses
- Application Tips: UC Personal Statement Prompt #1
- Application Tips: UC Personal Statement Prompt #2
- Acceptance Rate (2013): 18%
- Enrollment: 36,198 (25,951 undergraduates)
- Distinctions: Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; one of the top public universities; top 10 engineering program; top 10 business school; member of the Association of American Universities; member of the NCAA Division I Pacific 10 Conference
- Explore the Campus: UC Berkeley photo tour
- Admissions: Berkeley GPA and Test Score Graph
- For more admissions data, costs and financial aid information, check out the Berkeley profile
- Acceptance Rate (2013): 22%
- Enrollment: 40,795 (28,674 undergraduates)
- Distinctions: Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; one of the top public universities; top 20 engineering program; member of theAssociation of American Universities; member of the NCAA Division I Pacific 10 Conference
- Explore the Campus: UCLA photo tour
- Admissions: UCLA GPA and Test Score Graph
- For more admissions data, costs and financial aid information, check out the UCLA profile
- Acceptance Rate (2013): 38%
- Enrollment: 29,517 (23,805 undergraduates)
- Distinctions: Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; one of the top public universities; top 20 engineering program; member of theAssociation of American Universities; highly regarded Scripps Institute of Oceanography
- Explore the Campus: UCSD Photo Tour
- Admissions: UCSD GPA and Test Score Graph
- For more admissions data, costs and financial aid information, check out the UCSD profile
- Acceptance Rate (2013): 42%
- Enrollment: 28,895 (23,530 undergraduates)
- Distinctions: Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; member of the Association of American Universities; many highly-ranked programs including biology and health sciences, criminology, English, and psychology; member of the NCAA Division I Big West Conference
- Explore the Campus: UC Irvine photo tour
- Admissions: UC Irvine GPA and Test Score Graph
- For more admissions data, costs and financial aid information, check out the UC Irvine profile
- Acceptance Rate (2013): 44%
- Enrollment: 22,225 (19,362 undergraduates)
- Distinctions: Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; member of theAssociation of American Universities; member of the NCAA Division I Big West Conference
- Admissions: UCSB GPA and Test Score Graph
- For more admissions data, costs and financial aid information, check out the UCSB profile
- Acceptance Rate (2013): 45%
- Enrollment: 33,307 (26,533 undergraduates)
- Distinctions: Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; member of the Association of American Universities; huge 5,300-acre campus; highly ranked public university; member of the NCAA Division I Big West Conference
- Admissions: UC Davis GPA and Test Score Graph
- For more admissions data, costs and financial aid information, check out the UC Davis profile
- Acceptance Rate (2013): 60%
- Enrollment: 17,203 (15,695 undergraduates)
- Distinctions: Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; high number of students go on to earn doctorates; campus overlooks Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean; progressive curriculum
- Admissions: UC Santa Cruz GPA and Test Score Graph
- For more admissions data, costs and financial aid information, check out the UCSC profile
- Acceptance Rate (2013): 62%
- Enrollment: 21,207 (18,621 undergraduates)
- Distinctions: Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; one of the most ethnically diverse research universities in the country; highly popular business program; member of the NCAA Division I Big West Conference
- Admissions: UC Riverside GPA and Test Score Graph
- For more admissions data, costs and financial aid information, check out the UC Riverside profile
- Acceptance Rate (2013): 76%
- Enrollment: 6,195 (all undergraduate)
- Distinctions: first new research university of the 21st century; state-of-the-art construction for minimal environmental impact
- Admissions: UC Merced GPA and Test Score Graph
- For more admissions data, costs and financial aid information, check out the UC Merced profile
