Admissions & selectivity
University of California-Riverside Acceptance Rate & Admissions
What is the acceptance rate at UC Riverside?
UC Riverside’s reported acceptance rate is 76.4%.
- Acceptance rate · Fall 2024
- 76.4%
Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle.
How to interpret the acceptance rate
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 59,781 applicants and 51,424 admitted students. University of California-Riverside admits 76.4% of applicants, which means most who apply receive an offer.
That rate sits slightly below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size).
What SAT and ACT scores do UC Riverside students report?
SAT and ACT ranges are not available for UC Riverside in the data shown here. Missing scores do not establish whether tests are required, optional or excluded from review.
Figures cover fall 2024.
Who enrolls at UC Riverside?
- Pell Grant recipients
- 46.9%
- Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group
- 19.3%
- First-year retention
- 87.6%
Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention.
About these student measures
These measures use different populations and reporting periods, rather than one current entering class. The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns.
The University of California-Riverside enrolls 22,593 undergraduates, with Pell Grant recipients making up 46.9% of the student body and an estimated 19.3% entering as transfers or part-time students. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 59,781 first-year applicants and 51,424 admitted students.
For transfer students, 13,778 applied, 9,341 were admitted, and 1,607 enrolled. The composition reflects a campus that draws heavily from students who begin elsewhere and from families qualifying for federal need-based aid.
Applicants who are Pell-eligible or considering a transfer path should review the university's articulation agreements and financial aid timelines early, as both groups are a substantial presence on campus.
The first-time full-time cohort at University of California-Riverside returns for a second year at a rate of 87.6%, which is above the 83.1% median for comparable institutions. Six years in, 76.0% of that cohort has completed a degree, also above the peer median of 65.0%.
Pell Grant recipients in the same entering cohort complete at 63.3%, which is 12.7 percentage points below the overall rate. An enrolled student can expect persistence and completion rates that run ahead of the peer group.
A Pell-eligible student should go in knowing the completion gap is real and plan to use every academic resource early.
Data & methodology
A missing figure does not mean zero. Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.