What You Need For UCLA: SAT Scores and GPA (2023)

What are UCLA's average SAT scores and GPA? In this guide, we'll discuss what scores are needed for you to get admitted into UCLA. You'll also get to calculate your own chances with our admissions calculator.

Location: Los Angeles, CA

This school is also known as: UCLA, UC Los Angeles, University of California, Los Angeles

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UCLA Admissions Statistics

There are three critical numbers when considering your admissions chances: SAT scores, GPA, and acceptance rate. All these combine to tell you what you scores are required to get into University of California, Los Angeles.

Average SAT: 1405

The average SAT score composite at UCLA is a 1405.

UCLA SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1290, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1510.

In other words, a 1290 places you below average, while a 1510 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute SAT requirement at UCLA, but they really want to see at least a 1290 to have a chance at being considered.

UCLA is one of the most competitive public universities in the US, so if you live in UCLA's own Westwood or in greater LA, our researchers have compiled SAT tutoring resources for helping students like you.

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

Section	Average	25th Percentile	75th Percentile
Math	715	640	790
Reading + Writing	690	640	740
Composite	1405	1290	1510

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Average GPA: 3.9

The average GPA at UCLA is 3.9. This makes UCLA Extremely Competitive for GPAs.

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.9, UCLArequires you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. You should also have taken plenty of AP or IB classes to show your ability to excel in academic challenge.

If you're a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change from this point on. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.9, you'll need a higher SAT score to compensate and show that you're prepared to take on college academics. This will help you compete effectively with other applicants.

Admissions Rate: 12.3%

The acceptance rate at UCLA is 12.3%. In other words, of 100 students who apply, only 12 are admitted.

This means the school isvery selective. Scores are vital to getting past their first round of filters. After that, you will need to impress them beyond just your academic scores.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in. If you don't pass their SAT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration.

To be safe, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1510 SAT and a 3.9 GPA or higher to be above average.

This is only part of the challenge - after this, you'll need to impress them beyond your academic scores, with your accomplishments and extracurriculars. But if you apply with a 1405 SAT or below, you unfortunately have a small chance of getting in.

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(Video) How to get into UCLA | our GPA, SAT, extracurriculars, and essay tips

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Admissions Calculator

What are your chances of admission at University of California, Los Angeles?

Chances of admission with these scores:

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are.

Pick your test:SATACT

SAT Score

Your GPA

Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:

80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
50-80%: More likely than not getting in
20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in

We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances. Applying to some safety schools will guarantee you have a college to go to, while applying to some reach schools will give you a shot at getting into the school at the top of your range.

(Video) how to get into top colleges with bad grades or low gpa or low SAT I my true story + mistakes

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Try to take your current SAT score and add 160 points to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

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Other Schools For You

If you're interested in UCLA, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to UCLA.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than UCLA. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
Brown University	Providence, RI	1485	34
Cornell University	Ithaca, NY	1480	34
University of Notre Dame	Notre Dame, IN	1475	34
Tufts University	Medford, MA	1465	33
Northeastern University	Boston, MA	1465	34
Georgia Institute of Technology	Atlanta, GA	1465	33
Georgetown University	Washington, DC	1450	33

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for UCLA, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
Boston College	Chestnut Hill, MA	1420	33
Boston University	Boston, MA	1420	32
Tulane University	New Orleans, LA	1420	32
University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley, CA	1415	31
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Troy, NY	1409	31
Villanova University	Villanova, PA	1395	33
Southern Methodist University	Dallas, TX	1390	31

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for UCLA, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If UCLA is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

(Video) How I Got Into UCLA With A 1200 SAT Score

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
University of California, Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara, CA	1355	29
University of Texas at Dallas	Richardson, TX	1350	30
Stony Brook University	Stony Brook, NY	1335	29
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo, CA	1335	29
University of Connecticut	Storrs, CT	1315	29
Rochester Institute of Technology	Rochester, NY	1300	30
University of California, Davis	Davis, CA	1280	28

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