Admissions · United States
UC Irvine Acceptance Rate: Admissions Statistics and TOEFL & IELTS Requirements
UC Irvine admitted 30.3% of first-year applicants for fall 2026: 38,165 of 126,005, according to University of California admissions data.
UC Irvine TOEFL and IELTS requirements at a glance
| Applying for | TOEFL iBT | IELTS Academic |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate (first-year) | TOEFL iBT4.5 on the 1–6 scale for tests taken from January 2026; 80 on the 0–120 scale for tests taken before January 2026 (iBT or iBT Home Edition). | IELTS Academic6.5 or higher |
Full requirements and official sources · Check your TOEFL band with a free mock test
UC Irvine's newest figure is the University of California's admit data for fall 2026. Earlier years, and the in-state, out-of-state, international, wait-list and transfer breakdowns, come from UCI's Common Data Set, published by its Office of Institutional Research; the newest edition covers fall 2025. The page ends with the UC-wide TOEFL and IELTS minimums that apply to UC Irvine.
Figures read from official sources on · LingoLeap Admissions Research
UC Irvine acceptance rate by year
UC Irvine acceptance rate by applicant group
| Group | Cycle | Rate | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| California residents | Fall 2025 entering class | 21.9% | 18,922 admitted of 86,230 source |
| Out-of-state (US) | Fall 2025 entering class | 47.5% | 7,784 admitted of 16,381 source |
| International | Fall 2025 entering class | 42.8% | 9,258 admitted of 21,620 source |
| California residents | Fall 2024 entering class | 21.8% | 19,101 admitted of 87,538 source |
| Out-of-state (US) | Fall 2024 entering class | 49.8% | 7,858 admitted of 15,792 source |
| International | Fall 2024 entering class | 43.1% | 8,358 admitted of 19,376 source |
| Wait list (admitted of those who accepted a place) | Fall 2025 entering class | ≈100% | 5,737 admitted of 5,738 who accepted a place; 12,967 were offered one source |
| Wait list (admitted of those who accepted a place) | Fall 2024 entering class | 100.0% | 6,259 admitted of 6,259 who accepted a place; 13,155 were offered one source |
| Yield (admits who enrolled) | Fall 2025 entering class | 17.9% | 6,421 enrolled of 35,964 admitted source |
| Yield (admits who enrolled) | Fall 2024 entering class | 19.1% | 6,736 enrolled of 35,317 admitted source |
| Transfer | Fall 2026 | 36.4% | 9,839 admitted of 27,004; 95.6% of admits from California community colleges source |
| Transfer | Fall 2025 | 39.5% | 10,033 admitted of 25,377 source |
| Transfer | Fall 2024 | 39.9% | 10,023 admitted of 25,103 source |
What the numbers mean
UC Irvine admitted 30.3% of first-year applicants for fall 2026, up from 28.9% for fall 2025 and 28.8% for fall 2024. The fall 2026 figure is the University of California's own snapshot, which counts applicants slightly differently from UCI's Common Data Set: for fall 2025 the UC Information Center shows 124,223 applicants and 35,658 admits (28.7%), against 124,231 and 35,964 (28.9%) in the Common Data Set. The middle half of fall 2026 admits had a high school GPA of 4.06–4.27 on UC's scale.
Residency makes a large difference at UCI. For fall 2025 the admit rate was 21.9% for California residents (18,922 of 86,230), 47.5% for out-of-state US applicants (7,784 of 16,381) and 42.8% for international applicants (9,258 of 21,620). The fall 2024 figures were similar: 21.8%, 49.8% and 43.1%. The Common Data Set assigns residency by known physical address at the time of application.
UCI has no early decision or early action plan: both Common Data Set editions answer No. It does use a wait list, and in both years it admitted almost everyone who accepted a place: 5,737 of 5,738 for fall 2025 (12,967 were offered a place) and 6,259 of 6,259 for fall 2024 (13,155 offered). Yield, the share of admits who enrolled, was 17.9% for fall 2025 and 19.1% for fall 2024.
Transfer applicants were admitted at 36.4% for fall 2026 (9,839 of 27,004), 39.5% for fall 2025 and 39.9% for fall 2024; 95.6% of fall 2026 transfer admits came from California community colleges. UC Irvine applies the University of California's English requirement: TOEFL iBT 4.5 for tests from January 2026 (80 before then), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 115.
UC Irvine TOEFL and IELTS requirements
Minimums for international applicants from the university's own pages. Since 21 January 2026 TOEFL iBT reports a 1–6 band score; the notes give the older 0–120 equivalent where the university states one. Convert TOEFL and IELTS scores.
Undergraduate (first-year)
TOEFL iBT: 4.5 on the 1–6 scale for tests taken from January 2026; 80 on the 0–120 scale for tests taken before January 2026 (iBT or iBT Home Edition).
IELTS Academic: 6.5 or higher
University of California minimum, which applies to UC Irvine. Duolingo English Test minimum 115. The test must be taken by December of the final year of secondary school. UC does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake or MyBest TOEFL; only the highest composite score from a single sitting counts. AP, IB, ACT, SAT and college English composition results can also meet the requirement. A campus may require a higher score for admission selection.
UC Admissions: English language proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS) · checked 26 October 2026
Check your score against UC Irvine
Take a free 2026-format TOEFL mock test for a 1–6 band estimate, then compare it with the minimum above and with other universities' requirements.
Free TOEFL mock testSign up free to submit your answers for scoring · no credit card
FAQ
What is UC Irvine's acceptance rate?
UC Irvine admitted 38,165 of 126,005 first-year applicants for fall 2026, an acceptance rate of 30.3%, according to University of California admissions data. UCI's Common Data Set gives 28.9% for fall 2025 (35,964 of 124,231) and 28.8% for fall 2024 (35,317 of 122,706).
What is UCI's international acceptance rate?
UCI admitted 9,258 of 21,620 international first-year applicants for fall 2025 (42.8%) and 8,358 of 19,376 for fall 2024 (43.1%), according to its Common Data Set.
What is UCI's out-of-state acceptance rate?
For fall 2025, UCI admitted 7,784 of 16,381 out-of-state US applicants (47.5%), against 21.9% for California residents (18,922 of 86,230). For fall 2024 the figures were 49.8% out-of-state and 21.8% in-state.
What is UCI's transfer acceptance rate?
UCI admitted 9,839 of 27,004 transfer applicants for fall 2026 (36.4%), 10,033 of 25,377 for fall 2025 (39.5%) and 10,023 of 25,103 for fall 2024 (39.9%).
What is UCI's waitlist acceptance rate?
For fall 2025, UCI offered 12,967 applicants a wait-list place; 5,738 accepted and 5,737 were admitted. For fall 2024, 13,155 were offered a place, 6,259 accepted and all 6,259 were admitted. UCI has no early decision or early action plan.
What TOEFL score does UC Irvine require?
UC Irvine uses the University of California minimum: TOEFL iBT (or iBT Home Edition) 4.5 for tests taken from January 2026, and 80 on the 0–120 scale for tests taken before then. UC accepts only the highest composite score from a single sitting, not MyBest scores, and says a campus may require a higher score for selection.
What IELTS score does UC Irvine require?
UC Irvine uses the University of California minimum of IELTS 6.5. UC does not accept the IELTS One Skill Retake, and the test must be taken by December of the final year of secondary school. The Duolingo English Test minimum is 115.