For the application year 2024, the University of California, Irvine has an overall acceptance rate of 25.7%, with 121,095 applicants and 31,184 accepted. The transfer acceptance rate stands at 43.5%, with 21,998 applicants and 9,581 accepted, making it a favorable option for transfer students. The waitlist acceptance rate for this year is 30.2%, with 9,861 offered a place and 2,979 eventually accepted. Historical data shows a decline from a 40.6% acceptance rate in 2016 to the current figure, while the domestic acceptance rate is 24.4% and the international rate is 32.5%.

The University of California, Irvine's overall acceptance rate has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping from 40.6% in 2016 to 21.2% in 2022. The total number of applicants increased significantly, from 71,768 in 2015 to 119,199 in 2022, indicating growing competition among applicants. Specifically, the acceptance rates were 36.5% for 2017, 28.9% for 2021, and 29.9% for 2020, reflecting an upward trend in applications but a downward trend in acceptance rates. This trend emphasizes the increasing selectivity of UC Irvine as it attracts a larger and more competitive applicant pool.
For the Class of 2028 at UC Irvine, the wait list acceptance rate reached 30.2%, with 2,979 out of 9,861 applicants gaining admission. This marks a significant increase from previous years, particularly the Class of 2021, which had a mere 2.2% acceptance rate from 8,765 wait-listed students. The Class of 2020 had a 14.3% acceptance rate with 2,664 admissions from 18,621 offered, while the Class of 2019 saw a 9.5% rate with 1,610 accepted from 17,018 offered. Overall, the recent acceptance trends highlight a notable improvement in the likelihood of gaining admission from the wait list at UC Irvine.
UC Irvine's transfer acceptance rate for the application year 2024 stands at 43.5%, with 9,581 out of 21,998 applicants being accepted. This rate is slightly lower than the previous year's acceptance rate of 43.9%, where 9,556 of 21,736 applicants were admitted. Historically, the transfer acceptance rates have shown variability, peaking at 52.7% in 2017, followed by rates of 47.1% in 2016 and 41.5% in 2018. The trend indicates a competitive transfer process, but the acceptance rate remains relatively high compared to first-year admissions.
| Race | Applicants |
|---|---|
| Asian American | 37.8% |
| White | 11% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 25.9% |
| Black/African American | 1.8% |
| American Indian/Alaskan Native | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.1% |