How to Calculate your UC GPA

Application volume across the University of California’s nine campuses surged nearly 23% within the past three years alone, with university-wide first-year applications totaling a whopping 210,840 in Fall 2022, compared to 203,700 applications in 2021 and 172,099 in 2020.

It’s no wonder the UC system is so popular: with affordable in-state tuition ($13,752 for the 2023-24 academic year) and a continued commitment to college access for all qualified California residents*, it’s an attractive option for highly-qualified students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. And although yearly tuition for non-residents is markedly more expensive ($46,326 for the 2023-24 academic year), the UC system nevertheless offers students an indisputably strong bang for their buck: UC Berkeley and UCLA tied at #20 in the U.S. News and World Reports’ ranking of National Universities. UC Santa Barbara ranks at #32, Irvine and San Diego are tied at #34, and Davis is at #38. Berkeley and UCLA tied at #1 among Top Public Schools, with Berkeley also sitting at an impressive #3 among Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs.

IN-STATE VS. OUT-OF-STATE APPLICATIONS

As we detailed on our previous blog in this series, UCLA Acceptance Rate: Decoding the Data, of the 145,882 freshman applications received by UCLA for admission to the Class of 2027, 62% of them, or 90,747 applications, came from California residents. In the chart below, you can see how the acceptance rate data for in state versus out of state applicants varies by school.

CALCULATE YOUR UC GPA

But before you can reap the benefits of matriculating into a coveted spot within the UC system, you have to meet the minimum requirement for admission. We’re talking about the A-G course requirements and the UC GPA.

*Determining California residency for application and tuition purposes are distinct processes with different requirements.

University of California Minimum Requirements

Consistent with its years-long initiative to raise four-year graduation rates to 76% and six-year completion to 90% across all UC schools by 2030, UC continues its commitment to ensuring student preparedness through its minimum application requirements: the Subject Requirement (A-G) and the UC GPA requirement (which is different from a high school GPA).

A-G Course Requirement

Every applicant to the UC system must complete 15 college-preparatory courses during their high school years (11 of which must be completed by the end of the applicant’s junior year). These required courses, also known as A-G courses, are listed in the below chart.

History	2 years
English	4 years
Mathematics	3 years
Science	2 years
Language other than English *or equivalent to the 2nd level of high school instruction	2 years*
Visual and Performing Arts	1 year
College-Preparatory Elective (chosen from the above subjects listed above or another course approved by the university)	1 year

California residents may search courses at their high schools in the UC A-G Course List tool to assess their progress toward fulfilling this requirement. Non-residents may also assess whether their coursework will meet the requirements by comparing their courses with the subject requirement information provided by UC; certain AP and IB examinations, for example, may fulfill the requirements, as may college courses. Students, especially non-residents, who are interested in applying to UC are encouraged to consider these subject requirements as early as possible to ensure that all minimum requirements for admission are being met.

How to Calculate Your UC GPA

The second minimum requirement is the UC GPA, a particular formula that enables the UC admissions teams to compare applicants’ respective performance in high school coursework. California residents must meet a minimum UC GPA (different from a regular high school GPA!) of 3.0, while non-residents must have a minimum UC GPA of 3.4, both with no grade lower than a C.

Step 1 – Convert your grades

Make a list of all A-G courses completed between the summer following 9th grade and the summer following 11th grade to grade points and the grade you received in each (pluses and minuses don’t count). Convert each grade using the UC points system:

A=4 points

B=3 points

C=2 points

D=1 point

Step 2 – Consider Honors* courses

Add an extra point for each completed semester of a UC honors-level course. *For California residents, these include UC-certified courses (as verified using UC’s Course List tool), UC-transferable college courses, AP and IB HL and SL courses. For non-residents, you may only count transferable college courses or AP or IB HL or SL courses, but not school-designated honors courses. A maximum of 8 honors points may be added between 10th and 11th grades.

Step 3 – Calculate total grade points

Add up all of your points from steps one and two.

Step 4 – Divide for UC GPA

Divide the number that you calculated in step three by the number of letter grades you earned in courses completed between the summer following 9th grade and the summer following 11th grade. This is your UC GPA.

STATEWIDE GUARANTEE & LOCAL GUARANTEE (ELC) FOR CALIFORNIA STUDENTS

Remember at the start of this blog when we mentioned UC’s “continued commitment to college access for all qualified California residents”? It’s true! There are two pathways to guaranteed admission at a UC campus — even if a student wasn’t admitted to any of the UC schools that they initially applied to.

The Statewide Index

The Statewide Index is a formula that takes into consideration both the student’s UC GPA (see above step-by-step calculation) and the number of semesters of UC-approved A-G coursework that the student has completed and is currently taking in 9th-12th grade to determine whether the student will rank among the top 9% of all California high school students by the time of their high school graduation. If the student’s UC GPA and A-G course totals line up in the below Statewide Index chart, that’s a pretty strong indication that they’ll probably be in the top 9% of statewide students.

High School GPA	Number of A-G Courses
3.60 – 3.64	76
3.65 – 3.69	74
3.70 – 3.74	70
3.75 – 3.79	66
3.80 – 3.84	63
3.85 – 3.89	58
3.90 – 3.94	54
3.95 – 3.99	50
4.00 – 4.04	46
4.05 – 4.09	41
4.10 – 4.14	37
4.15 – 4.19	34
4.20 – 4.24	32
4.25 or above	30

Note that the Statewide Index no longer considers a student’s ACT or SAT scores.

Eligible in the Local Context (ELC)

The other pathway for guaranteed entry is ELC, or “Eligible in the Local Context,” an initiative that, according to UC, “recognizes your individual accomplishments in light of the opportunities offered by your particular high school.” California residents who attend an ELC-participating California high school, achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 in UC-approved coursework completed between 10th and 11th grades and rank in the top 9% of students in their high school class will be guaranteed a spot at a UC campus that has space.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The A-G requirements and UC GPA are just one part of the application picture. At Top Tier Admissions, we guide students in cultivating authentic academic interests and leveraging them for college admissions success. Our counselors will ensure you’re on the right path so that your dream school sees in you their dream applicant.