Neuroscience transfer to UC San Diego
What UC San Diego expects neuroscience transfers to finish before fall 2027. Below are San Diego’s own preparation and selection rules, the programs that give priority and your odds.
Checked against official UC and campus sources in November 2026.
At a glance
- Fall 2025 campus admit rate
- 57.7%
- Selection criteria
- Yes
- TAG at San Diego
- No TAG
- Admits transfers
- Yes
UC San Diego admitted 57.7% of community college applicants for fall 2025, and it doesn’t publish admit rates by major. The middle half of admitted transfers had GPAs from 3.55 to 3.94 for fall 2025.
What San Diego expects
Neurobiology BS · Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience BS · Cognitive Science with Specialization in Neuroscience BS
- Courses to finish
Neurobiology (Biology) screening requires BILD 1 and 3, CHEM 6A, 6B, 6C and 7L, and MATH 10A-10B or MATH 20A-20B equivalents. Source
- Selection
Neurobiology applicants must earn C- or higher in each screening course and a minimum 2.5 GPA in these courses. AP/IB credit counts toward requirements but not toward that GPA. Source
- Also note
Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience BS and Cognitive Science with Specialization in Neuroscience BS are not on the screened-majors list, so they do not require minimum preparation screening. Source
Required minimum major preparation for screened majors must be completed by the end of the spring term before fall admission. The page does not name a specific admission year. Source
The minimum transfer GPA for UC San Diego eligibility is 2.4 for California residents and 2.8 for nonresidents. Source
- Every San Diego major
UC San Diego admits transfers at the junior level only, and every transfer must be admitted to a major. Source
Applicants to screened majors are screened on the number of preparation courses completed, the grades in them and the cumulative GPA. Required preparation must be done by the end of the spring term before fall admission with a C (2.0) or better unless the major states otherwise. Source
Data Science, Engineering and Public Health are selective majors with limited enrollment due to capacity. UC San Diego strongly recommends listing an alternate non-selective major, and applicants not admitted to the first choice may be admitted to the alternate if space is available. Source
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.
Your odds
Move the GPA to see a regular-review range at UC San Diego.
The same major at other campuses
| Campus | Selection criteria | TAG |
|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | Yes | No TAG |
| UCLA | Yes | No TAG |
| UC Irvine | None stated | Not stated |
| UC Davis | Yes | 3.20 |
| UC Santa Cruz | Yes | 3.00 |
| UC Riverside | Yes | 2.80 |
| UC Merced | None stated | Not stated |
Other majors at UC San Diego
- Aerospace Engineering
- Anthropology
- Bioengineering
- Biological Sciences
- Business Economics
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Cognitive Science
- Communication
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Science
- Data Science
- Earth Science / Geology
- Economics
- Electrical Engineering
- English
- Environmental Science
- Film and Media Studies
- Global and International Studies
- History
- Linguistics
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Statistics
Official links
- UC San Diego transfer admissionsadmissions.ucsd.edu
- ASSIST: course agreements to UC San Diegoassist.org
Questions
What GPA do you need to transfer to UC San Diego for neuroscience?
Neurobiology applicants must earn C- or higher in each screening course and a minimum 2.5 GPA in these courses. AP/IB credit counts toward requirements but not toward that GPA.
What classes do I need to transfer to UC San Diego for neuroscience?
Neurobiology (Biology) screening requires BILD 1 and 3, CHEM 6A, 6B, 6C and 7L, and MATH 10A-10B or MATH 20A-20B equivalents. Check each course on ASSIST for your college.
Can I get a TAG for neuroscience 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.