University of California, Santa Cruz GPA requirements & acceptance rate
Average GPA, acceptance rate and SAT/ACT ranges for University of California, Santa Cruz, all from its own Common Data Set 2025-26, plus a quick estimate of your chances.
What are my chances at University of California, Santa Cruz?
Enter your unweighted GPA to see an estimate.
What GPA do you need to get into University of California, Santa Cruz?
University of California, Santa Cruz’s own Common Data Set (2025-26, item C12) reports an average high school GPA of 3.87 for its enrolled first-year students who submitted a GPA (99.26% of them submitted one). It is an average, not a cut-off: many enrolled students were below it. The CDS does not say whether the figure is weighted, so treat it as a guide rather than a target. Source: University of California, Santa Cruz Common Data Set 2025-26, item C12.
Plenty of enrolled students were below the 3.87 average, especially those with a strong upward trend, a demanding course load, or test scores near the top of the range. Use the estimator above to see where you stand.
University of California, Santa Cruz acceptance rate
University of California, Santa Cruz’s Common Data Set 2025-26 (item C1) reports 66,374 first-time, first-year applicants for fall 2025 and 48,274 admitted, an acceptance rate of 73%. That makes University of California, Santa Cruz moderately selective — reasonably attainable for solid students. GPA is only one piece: University of California, Santa Cruz also weighs the rigor of your courses, essays, recommendations and activities, and test scores where it considers them.
University of California, Santa Cruz SAT and ACT scores
University of California, Santa Cruz’s Common Data Set 2025-26 does not report SAT or ACT composite percentiles (item C9 is blank), so no score range is shown here. Check University of California, Santa Cruz’s admissions website for its current testing policy.
University of California, Santa Cruz admissions at a glance
| First-year applicants (fall 2025) | 66,374 |
| Admitted | 48,274 |
| Acceptance rate | 73% |
| Average high school GPA | 3.87 |
| Submitted a GPA | 99.26% |
| SAT composite, 25th–75th | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 25th–75th | Not reported |
| Common Data Set year | 2025-26 |
Source: University of California, Santa Cruz Common Data Set 2025-26 · University of California, Santa Cruz’s Common Data Set page, items C1 (applicants and admits), C9 (SAT/ACT) and C12 (GPA), read October 2026. Every figure on this page comes from the college’s own Common Data Set; none is from a third-party website.
Estimate your odds
The estimator above starts from University of California, Santa Cruz’s acceptance rate and moves it up or down with your GPA. It is a rough guide, not a prediction: it does not see your essays, course rigor or major. To plan the grades you need, try the college GPA calculator and the target GPA planner.
How to strengthen your application
Beyond the GPA range, focus on what you can still move: take the most challenging courses your school offers, keep your grades trending upward, prepare for the SAT or ACT if University of California, Santa Cruz considers them, and write essays that show genuine fit.