Transferring to UC Santa Cruz
For fall 2025, UC Santa Cruz admitted 70.4% of all transfer applicants: 8,792 of 12,490. UC Santa Cruz reported an average GPA of 3.47 for admitted fall 2025 transfers and no range. The calculator’s range is an estimate around that average.
Checked against official UC and campus sources in October 2026.
Admission numbers
- Fall 2026 admit rate
- 67.5%
- Fall 2025, all transfers
- 70.4%
- Admitted GPA, middle half
- Average 3.47
- TAG minimum GPA
- 3.00
| Cycle | Who | Applicants | Admits | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 (snapshot) | All transfer applicants | 13,546 | 9,141 | 67.5% |
| Fall 2025 | All transfer applicants | 12,490 | 8,792 | 70.4% |
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. The calculator’s GPA range for this campus is an estimate, since no range is published.
Your odds at UC Santa Cruz
Move the GPA and pick a major. The range uses UC Santa Cruz’s published numbers.
TAG at UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz’s Transfer Admission Guarantee needs a 3.00 UC-transferable GPA by the end of summer 2026. Santa Cruz reviews your record, and screening majors add their own prep GPA rules.
Every UC Santa Cruz major is open to TAG.
Selective majors
UC Santa Cruz runs 49 screening majors, including Biology, Business Management Economics, Computer Science, Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Mathematics and every engineering major. Computer Science needs a 3.0 in five screening courses, with three done by the end of fall.
Campus rules by major
| Major | Rule |
|---|---|
| Psychology | B- or better in intro psychology and statistics, and a C or better in one math course, by the end of spring. |
| Computer Science | Computer Science needs a 3.0 GPA in five screening courses, with three of them done by the end of fall and all five by spring. |
| All majorsShared rule | No major changes after you submit. |
| 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 Santa Cruz
Each major links to UC’s shared course list and the rules every campus adds to it.
| Major | TAG | Extra campus rule |
|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineering | 3.00 | None listed |
| Anthropology | 3.00 | None listed |
| Bioengineering | 3.00 | None listed |
| Biological Sciences | 3.00 | None listed |
| Business Administration | 3.00 | None listed |
| Chemical Engineering | 3.00 | None listed |
| Chemistry | 3.00 | None listed |
| Civil Engineering | 3.00 | None listed |
| Communication | 3.00 | None listed |
| Computer Science | 3.00 | Yes, see above |
| Data Science | 3.00 | None listed |
| Earth Science / Geology | 3.00 | None listed |
| Economics | 3.00 | None listed |
| Electrical Engineering | 3.00 | None listed |
| English | 3.00 | None listed |
| Environmental Engineering | 3.00 | None listed |
| Environmental Science | 3.00 | None listed |
| History | 3.00 | None listed |
| Materials Science and Engineering | 3.00 | None listed |
| Mathematics | 3.00 | None listed |
| Mechanical Engineering | 3.00 | None listed |
| Philosophy | 3.00 | None listed |
| Physics | 3.00 | None listed |
| Political Science | 3.00 | None listed |
| Psychology | 3.00 | Yes, see above |
| Sociology | 3.00 | None listed |
| Statistics | 3.00 | None listed |
Official links
- UC Santa Cruz transfer admissionsadmissions.ucsc.edu
- UC Santa Cruz transfer admit data (UC)admission.universityofcalifornia.edu
- ASSIST: course agreements to UC Santa Cruzassist.org
- UC TAG Matrixadmission.universityofcalifornia.edu
From UC Santa Cruz’s own pages
- UCSC selects transfers using faculty-approved criteria and gives priority to junior-level transfers from California community colleges. Some majors screen for completed major preparation and GPA. Source
- For fall 2027, TAG is open to all majors with a 3.0 GPA at submission. About 45 screening majors also require specific preparation courses finished by the end of spring 2027. Source
- UCSC accepted winter quarter 2027 transfer applications for most majors (deadline August 15, 2026), but TAG does not apply to winter entry and winter 2028 availability is not yet confirmed. Source
- Transfers entering in 2026-27 or later receive a two-year housing guarantee if they indicate a housing preference at SIR, meet deadlines and keep continuous campus housing. Source
- The free Transfer Preparation Program (TPP) offers ongoing support, aimed especially at first-generation students, student veterans and others who want more help with transfer. Source
Other UC campuses
Questions
What GPA do you need to transfer to UC Santa Cruz?
UC Santa Cruz reported an average GPA of 3.47 for admitted fall 2025 transfers and no range. The calculator’s range is an estimate around that average. UC’s minimum is 2.4 for California residents and 2.8 for nonresidents, but admitted transfers sit well above it. UC Santa Cruz’s TAG needs at least a 3.00.
What is UC Santa Cruz’s transfer acceptance rate?
70.4% of all transfer applicants for fall 2025 (8,792 of 12,490). UC’s fall 2026 snapshot for all transfers shows 67.5%.
Does UC Santa Cruz offer TAG?
Yes. The minimum is a 3.00. Filing runs September 1–30 for the following fall.
When is the UC Santa Cruz transfer application due?
For fall 2027 entry the UC application is due November 30, 2026. One application covers every campus you choose, and the Transfer Academic Update follows by January 31, 2027.
Sources
- UC: UC Santa Cruz transfer admit data
- UC counselor conference 2025: campus updates
- UC TAG Matrix, fall 2027
- UC Santa Cruz: screening major criteria
- UC Santa Cruz catalog: Psychology B.A.
- UC Santa Cruz catalog: Computer Science B.S.
- UC: major change instructions
- UC: myths and realities of transfer admission
- UC Santa Cruz: transfer students
- UC Santa Cruz: transfer admission guarantee tag
- UC Santa Cruz: winter transfer information
- UC Santa Cruz: guarantee
- UC Admissions: applying as a transfer