UC San Diego Transfer Acceptance Rate and GPA (Fall 2027)

Admission numbers

Fall 2026 admit rate: 47.4%
Fall 2025, community college: 57.7%
Admitted GPA, middle half: 3.55–3.94
TAG offered: None

Cycle	Who	Applicants	Admits	Admit rate
Fall 2026 (snapshot)	All transfer applicants	26,339	12,473	47.4%
Fall 2025	Community college applicants	19,307	11,137	57.7%

UC’s fall 2026 numbers are a snapshot taken during the cycle and count transfers from every kind of school. The fall 2025 numbers are final counts.

Your odds at UC San Diego

Move the GPA and pick a major. The range uses UC San Diego’s published numbers.

UC-transferable GPA3.40

Intended major

Far reach

About 10–25% in regular review for applicants like you

Major preparation is the factor UC readers weigh most for transfers — often ahead of GPA.

Regular-review estimate for a California resident on track for 60 units and the 7-course pattern, with major prep unconfirmed. The full calculator adds your prep, residency and TAG status.

No TAG at UC San Diego

UC San Diego doesn’t offer TAG. Its UniversityLink program guarantees admission to the campus, though not to a selective major, for eligible students at nine San Diego-area colleges.

Program	What it gives	Who qualifies
UniversityLink	Guaranteed admission to UC San Diego, though not to a selective major.	Family income under $40,000 on the FAFSA or CADAA (veterans, service members and current or former foster youth qualify at any income), no college after high school outside the partner colleges, and a 3.5 UC GPA with 60 units by the end of spring. UCSD doesn't admit undeclared transfers, so pick a non-selective alternate major.

Every UC program that gives transfer priority

Selective majors

UC San Diego caps several majors: all Data Science and Public Health majors, and every major in Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Transfers who miss a capped engineering major are usually placed in an alternate major, with very little chance to switch in later.

Campus rules by major

Major	Rule
Business Administration	Business Economics needs its prep done by spring with a C- or better in each course and a 2.3 GPA across them.
Biological Sciences	Biology needs intro biology, the general chemistry series with lab and calculus done by spring, with a C- or better in each and a 2.5 GPA across them.
Computer Science	Computer Science prep (calculus, linear algebra and the programming series) must be done by spring with a C or better.
Physics	Physics needs a 3.0 GPA in its screening courses.
All majors	Transfers aren’t admitted as undeclared, so choose a major and a backup.
All majors	Major changes in the applicant portal until January 31.
All majorsEvery campus	Switching into a selective STEM major after admission is, in UC’s words, very slim. Apply to the major you want.

Every major at UC San Diego

Each major links to UC’s shared course list and the rules every campus adds to it.

Major	Extra campus rule	Courses on UC’s list
Aerospace Engineering	None listed	10
Anthropology	None listed	3
Bioengineering	None listed	10
Biological Sciences	Yes, see above	6
Business Administration	Yes, see above	7
Chemical Engineering	None listed	8
Chemistry	None listed	7
Civil Engineering	None listed	8
Communication	None listed	9
Computer Science	Yes, see above	9
Data Science	None listed	5
Earth Science / Geology	None listed	3
Economics	None listed	3
Electrical Engineering	None listed	9
English	None listed	4
Environmental Engineering	None listed	10
Environmental Science	None listed	7
History	None listed	4
Materials Science and Engineering	None listed	9
Mathematics	None listed	8
Mechanical Engineering	None listed	10
Philosophy	None listed	5
Physics	Yes, see above	5
Political Science	None listed	8
Psychology	None listed	10
Sociology	None listed	3
Statistics	None listed	5

Official links

UC San Diego transfer admissionsadmissions.ucsd.edu
UC San Diego transfer admit data (UC)admission.universityofcalifornia.edu
ASSIST: course agreements to UC San Diegoassist.org

From UC San Diego’s own pages

UC San Diego admits transfers only at the junior level and only into a major. For majors with prerequisites, reviewers check completed prep courses, GPA in those courses and cumulative transferable GPA. Source
Screening majors, including engineering, biology, computer science, data science, economics and public health, require minimum major preparation completed by the end of the spring term before fall admission. Source
Applicants to selective majors such as Data Science, Engineering and Public Health are strongly encouraged to list a non-selective alternate major, which may be offered if space allows. Applicants also rank their top four undergraduate colleges. Source
UniversityLink guarantees admission, though not to a selective major, for students at nine San Diego and Imperial County partner colleges with income under $40,000 who keep a 3.5 UC GPA. UC San Diego does not admit transfers as undeclared. Source
Incoming fall and winter first-year and transfer students are eligible for a two-year housing guarantee if they meet housing deadlines and live on campus during their admit year. Source

Other UC campuses

Questions

What GPA do you need to transfer to UC San Diego?

The middle half of admitted transfers had GPAs from 3.55 to 3.94 for fall 2025. UC’s minimum is 2.4 for California residents and 2.8 for nonresidents, but admitted transfers sit well above it.

What is UC San Diego’s transfer acceptance rate?

57.7% of California community college applicants for fall 2025 (11,137 of 19,307). UC’s fall 2026 snapshot for all transfers shows 47.4%.

Does UC San Diego offer TAG?