What families actually pay
Average yearly net price after grants, in-state students, by family income
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard · data snapshot October 2, 2026
AP credit
Most-taken exams, lowest score that earns credit| Exam | Min score | University of California-Irvine course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 3 | 4 MATH 2A or MATH 5A | |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 8 MATH 2A or MATH 5A | |
| Biology | 3 | 8 Non-Bio. Sci. majors earn one Biological…8 Non-Bio. Sci. majors earn one Biological Sciences course toward Category II of the UCI GE requirement. Bio. Sci. majors earn elective credit only | |
| Chemistry | 3 | 8 Elective credit only | |
| Psychology | 3 | 4 Elective credit only | |
| Statistics | 3 | 4 STATS 7 or STATS 8 or SOCECOL 13 or EDUC | 15 credits |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 4 Elective credit only | |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 4 Elective credit only |
Show all 41 exams and every score level
| Exam | Min score | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 3 | 4 MATH 2A or MATH 5A | |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 8 MATH 2A or MATH 5A | |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 8 MATH 2A - MATH 2B or MATH 5A - MATH 5B | |
| Biology | 3 | 8 Non-Bio. Sci. majors earn one Biological…8 Non-Bio. Sci. majors earn one Biological Sciences course toward Category II of the UCI GE requirement. Bio. Sci. majors earn elective credit only | |
| Chemistry | 3 | 8 Elective credit only | |
| Chemistry | 4 | 8 CHEM 1A or ENGR 1A , plus 4 units of elective credit. | |
| Psychology | 3 | 4 Elective credit only | |
| Psychology | 4 | 4 PSY 9 or COGS 7A | |
| Statistics | 3 | 4 STATS 7 or STATS 8 or SOCECOL 13 or EDUC | 15 credits |
| Statistics | 4 | 4 MGMT | 7 credits |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 4 Elective credit only | |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | 4 ECON 20B or MGMT 4B . May not be used for the…4 ECON 20B or MGMT 4B . May not be used for the School of Social Sciences majors' degree requirements, with the exception of the B.A. in Economics, the B.A. in Business Economics, and the B.A. in Quantitative Economics. May also be used as one lower-division course toward the Economics minor. | |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 4 Elective credit only | |
| Microeconomics | 4 | 4 ECON 20A or MGMT 4A . May not be used for the…4 ECON 20A or MGMT 4A . May not be used for the School of Social Sciences majors' degree requirements, with the exception of the B.A. in Economics, the B.A. in Business Economics, and the B.A. in Quantitative Economics. May also be used as one lower-division course toward the Economics minor. | |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 4 Elective credit only | |
| Environmental Science | 4 | 4 EARTHSS | 1 credit |
| Human Geography | 3 | 4 Elective credit only | |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 8 SPANISH 1A - SPANISH 1B - SPANISH 1C…8 SPANISH 1A - SPANISH 1B - SPANISH 1C . Satisfies category VI of the UCI GE requirement | |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 8 SPANISH 2A - SPANISH 2B - SPANISH 2C…8 SPANISH 2A - SPANISH 2B - SPANISH 2C . Satisfies categories VI and VIII of the UCI GE requirement. | |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 8 I&C SCI 20 | |
| Art History | 3 | 8 One course toward Art History major, minor…8 One course toward Art History major, minor, category IV of the UCI GE requirement as ART HIS 40A , and satisfaction of category VIII, plus 4 units of elective credit; may not replace School of Humanities requirements; may not replace Archaeology minor requirements. | |
| Art History | 4 | 8 Two courses toward Art History major, minor…8 Two courses toward Art History major, minor, category IV of the UCI GE requirement as ART HIS 40A and ART HIS 40B , and satisfaction of category VIII; may not replace School of Humanities requirements; may not replace Archaeology minor requirements. | |
| Music Theory | 3 | 8 Elective credit only | |
| - - 2-D Art and Design | 3 | 8 Elective credit only | |
| - - 3-D Art and Design | 3 | 8 Elective credit only | |
| - A Exam | 3 | 8 Elective credit only | |
| - European | 3 | 8 Elective credit only | |
| - European | 5 | 8 One lower-division course toward the History…8 One lower-division course toward the History major or minor (excluding HISTORY 70B ), GE category IV, and satisfaction of category VIII; plus 4 units of elective credit; may not replace School of Humanities requirements | |
| - Exam C, Part I (Mechanics) | 5 | 4 PHYSICS 3A | |
| - Exam C, Part I or II | 3 | 4 Elective credit only | |
| - Exam C, Part I or II | 4 | 4 PHYSICS | 2 credits |
| - Exam C, Part II (Electricity and Magnetism) | 5 | 4 PHYSICS 3C | |
| - Language and Composition | 4 | 8 WRITING 50 and one English course toward…8 WRITING 50 and one English course toward category IV of the UCI GE requirement; may not replace Literary Journalism major or minor, English major or minor, or School of Humanities requirements | |
| - Literature and Composition | 4 | 8 WRITING 50 and one English course toward…8 WRITING 50 and one English course toward category IV of the UCI GE requirement; may not replace Literary Journalism major or minor, English major or minor, or School of Humanities requirements | |
| - Physics 1 | 3 | 8 Elective credit only | |
| - Physics 2 | 3 | 8 Elective credit only | |
| - U.S. Government and Politics | 3 | 4 Elective credit only | |
| - U.S. Government and Politics | 4 | 4 American Institutions and POL SCI 21A credit…4 American Institutions and POL SCI 21A credit. May not be used for the School of Social Sciences majors' degree requirements, with the exception of the B.A. in Political Science. May also be used as one lower-division course toward the Political Science minor. | |
| - United States | 3 | 8 Satisfies American History and Institutions requirement | |
| - United States | 5 | 8 One course toward HISTORY 40A - HISTORY 40B -…8 One course toward HISTORY 40A - HISTORY 40B - HISTORY 40C , GE category IV; plus 4 units of elective credit; may not replace School of Humanities requirements. Satisfies American History and Institutions requirement | |
| - World: Modern | 3 | 8 Elective credit only | |
| - World: Modern | 5 | 8 One course toward HISTORY 21B - HISTORY 21C…8 One course toward HISTORY 21B - HISTORY 21C , GE category IV, and satisfaction of category VIII; plus 4 units of elective credit; may not replace School of Humanities requirements | |
| African American Studies | 3 | 4 Satisfies one year of U.S. History for the Area…4 Satisfies one year of U.S. History for the Area A requirement. | |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 8 Elective credit only | |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 8 CHINESE 1A - CHINESE 1B - CHINESE 1C , CHINESE…8 CHINESE 1A - CHINESE 1B - CHINESE 1C , CHINESE 2A . Satisfies categories VI and VIII of the UCI GE requirement. Additional course credit may be awarded following placement examination | |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 4 Elective credit only | |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | 4 POL SCI 51A credit. May not be used for the…4 POL SCI 51A credit. May not be used for the School of Social Sciences majors' degree requirements, with the exception of the B.A. in Political Science. May also be used as one lower-division course toward the Political Science minor. | |
| Drawing | 3 | 8 Elective credit only | |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 8 FRENCH 1A - FRENCH 1B - FRENCH 1C . Satisfies…8 FRENCH 1A - FRENCH 1B - FRENCH 1C . Satisfies category VI of the UCI GE requirement | |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 8 FRENCH 2A - FRENCH 2B - FRENCH 2C . Satisfies…8 FRENCH 2A - FRENCH 2B - FRENCH 2C . Satisfies categories VI and VIII of the UCI GE requirement | |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 8 GERMAN 1A - GERMAN 1B - GERMAN 1C . Satisfies…8 GERMAN 1A - GERMAN 1B - GERMAN 1C . Satisfies category VI of the UCI GE requirement | |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 8 GERMAN 2A - GERMAN 2B - GERMAN 2C . Satisfies…8 GERMAN 2A - GERMAN 2B - GERMAN 2C . Satisfies categories VI and VIII of the UCI GE requirement | |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 8 ITALIAN 1A - ITALIAN 1B - ITALIAN 1C…8 ITALIAN 1A - ITALIAN 1B - ITALIAN 1C . Satisfies category VI of the UCI GE requirement | |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | 8 ITALIAN 2A - ITALIAN 2B - ITALIAN 2C…8 ITALIAN 2A - ITALIAN 2B - ITALIAN 2C . Satisfies categories VI and VIII of the UCI GE requirement | |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | 8 JAPANSE 1A - JAPANSE 1B - JAPANSE 1C…8 JAPANSE 1A - JAPANSE 1B - JAPANSE 1C . Satisfies category VI of the UCI GE requirement | |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 8 JAPANSE 2A - JAPANSE 2B - JAPANSE 2C…8 JAPANSE 2A - JAPANSE 2B - JAPANSE 2C . Satisfies categories VI and VIII of the UCI GE requirement | |
| Latin | 3 | 8 Elective credit only | |
| Latin | 4 | 8 Satisfies categories VI and VIII of the UCI GE…8 Satisfies categories VI and VIII of the UCI GE requirement. Course credit toward the Classics major or School of Humanities language requirement awarded upon petition | |
| Precalculus | 3 | No university credit awarded | |
| Precalculus | 4 | Approved as Area G college-prep elective. No…Approved as Area G college-prep elective. No university credit awarded. | |
| Research | 3 | Satisfies the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement…Satisfies the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement. No university credit awarded | |
| Seminar | 3 | Satisfies the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement…Satisfies the UC Entry Level Writing Requirement. No university credit awarded | |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 8 SPANISH 1A - SPANISH 1B - SPANISH 1C…8 SPANISH 1A - SPANISH 1B - SPANISH 1C . Satisfies category VI of the UCI GE requirement | |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 8 SPANISH 3 / SPANISH 3H . Satisfies categories…8 SPANISH 3 / SPANISH 3H . Satisfies categories VI, VII, and VIII of the UCI GE requirement |
Source: catalogue.uci.edu · checked September 19, 2026
Biggest majors
| Major | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Biology/Biological Sciences | 784 |
| Computer Science | 589 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology, Other | 510 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | 493 |
| Psychology | 486 |
| Business Administration and Management | 430 |
| Public Health, Other | 378 |
| Criminology | 358 |
Show the other 68 majors
| Economics | 325 |
| Education | 250 |
| Political Science and Government | 244 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 208 |
| Mathematics | 205 |
| Sociology | 194 |
| Computer Engineering | 173 |
| English Language and Literature | 146 |
| Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 135 |
| Chemistry | 135 |
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | 121 |
| Human Biology | 119 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 91 |
| Informatics | 89 |
| Art/Art Studies | 84 |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 83 |
| Pharmaceutical Sciences | 82 |
| Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts | 75 |
| History | 70 |
| Neurobiology and Anatomy | 63 |
| Civil Engineering | 63 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 61 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 60 |
| Environmental Studies | 59 |
| Computer Software Engineering | 56 |
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 55 |
| Anthropology | 54 |
| Computer Game Programming | 49 |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 48 |
| Nursing Science | 46 |
| Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation | 46 |
| Information Resources Management | 42 |
| Geology/Earth Science | 42 |
| Physics | 40 |
| Chemical Engineering | 40 |
| Philosophy | 39 |
| Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics | 38 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 37 |
| Dance | 35 |
| Journalism, Other | 33 |
| Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | 32 |
| Cognitive Science | 31 |
| Microbiology and Immunology | 28 |
| Physics, Other | 23 |
| Social Sciences | 23 |
| Materials Engineering | 22 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other | 15 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 15 |
| Spanish Language and Literature | 14 |
| Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology | 13 |
| Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies | 12 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other | 11 |
| Genetics | 11 |
| Music Performance | 11 |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 10 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology | 10 |
| French Language and Literature | 9 |
| Biology Teacher Education | 9 |
| East Asian Studies | 8 |
| Asian-American Studies | 8 |
| Comparative Literature | 7 |
| Japanese Language and Literature | 7 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 6 |
| Musical Theatre | 6 |
| Music | 6 |
| Korean Language and Literature | 5 |
| African-American/Black Studies | 3 |
| Chinese Studies | 1 |
Bachelor’s graduates, first major, most recent year · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Ranked programs
Where University of California-Irvine ranks in the top 25 on our top-programs lists, best rank first. How we rank programs
- #4 for Management information systemsof 50 colleges
- #7 for Computer engineeringof 50 colleges
- #10 for Ecology and environmental biologyof 50 colleges
- #10 for Kinesiology and exercise scienceof 50 colleges
- #10 for Nursingof 50 colleges
- #12 for Environmental engineeringof 50 colleges
- #12 for Pre-pharmacyof 50 colleges
- #14 for Geology and earth sciencesof 50 colleges
Show the other 9 ranked programs
- #14 for Information systemsof 50 colleges
- #14 for Materials science and engineeringof 49 colleges
- #15 for Microbiology and immunologyof 50 colleges
- #18 for Public healthof 50 colleges
- #19 for Civil engineeringof 50 colleges
- #20 for Aerospace engineeringof 50 colleges
- #21 for Chemistryof 50 colleges
- #21 for Pre-physical therapyof 50 colleges
- #22 for Software engineeringof 50 colleges
Sports and campus life
Men’s varsity · NCAA Division I, Big West Conference
Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field (Outdoor), Volleyball, Water Polo
Women’s varsity · NCAA Division I, Big West Conference
Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field (Indoor), Track and Field (Outdoor), Volleyball, Water Polo
ROTC
Air Force, Army
Faith groups
Cru, Hillel, InterVarsity, Newman Connection
Also
Honors college, Study abroad
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education athletics data (EADA), intervarsity.org · checked September 4, 2026 · data snapshot October 2, 2026
The place
Setting
City, large
Federal locale classification
Metro area
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
12,927,614 people
Big-city metro (1 million+)
Yes
More about the place
Nearest airport
John Wayne/Orange County (SNA)
Nearest hub airport
John Wayne/Orange County (SNA)
Walkability
EPA walkability index 15.0 of 20
Elevation
76 ft
Time zone
Pacific
January low
49°F
July high
79°F
Annual snowfall
0.0 in
Days at 90°F or higher
13 per year
One-bedroom fair market rent
$2,610 per month
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS locale), U.S. Census metro estimates, NOAA climate normals, HUD fair market rents, EPA walkability · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Colleges nearby
- Concordia University-Irvine2 mi
- Vanguard University of Southern California4 mi
- Laguna College of Art and Design7 mi
- University of Massachusetts Global8 mi
- Soka University of America9 mi
- Chapman University10 mi
Straight-line distance between campuses
Similar colleges
Public, city campus, NCAA Division I, similar size
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- The University of Texas at San Antonio30,310 students
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University30,504 students
- University of South Carolina-Columbia28,470 students