University in United States
Riverside, CA, United States
University profile
The University of California, Riverside (UCR) is a public research university in Riverside, Inland Southern California, and a member of the University of California system. Its campus covers nearly 1,200 acres and serves more than 26,000 students with about 1,100 faculty, among them two Nobel Prize winners and 15 members of the National Academies of Science and Medicine. UCR joined the Association of American Universities in 2023. Its mission is to transform the lives of the diverse people of California, the nation and the world through the discovery, communication, translation, application and preservation of knowledge. Students are known as Highlanders.
Academic programmes are organised in three colleges and four professional schools: the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering, the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS), the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS), the School of Education, the School of Business, the School of Medicine and the School of Public Policy. The Graduate Division oversees more than 50 graduate programmes, from master's degrees to doctorates. Undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees are offered, and academic support includes the Academic Resource Center, University Honors and Education Abroad.
The School of Medicine welcomed its first class of 50 students in 2013 and focuses on the physician shortage of the Inland Empire region. The School of Public Policy was announced in 2012 and is the only one among the University of California's four public policy schools with an undergraduate public policy major. The Palm Desert Center, opened in 2005, extends UCR into the Coachella Valley with academic programmes, an MFA in Creative Writing, public lectures and the Osher Lifelong Learning programme.
Students live in four residence hall communities for incoming first-year students (Aberdeen-Inverness, Dundee, Lothian and Pentland Hills) or in seven campus apartment and family housing communities (Falkirk, Glen Mor, North District, North District 2, Stonehaven and The Plaza). Housing Services runs living-learning communities, gender-inclusive housing, dining options and a first-generation mentorship programme. More than 1,500 activities and events are held each year, and the Scottish-themed Highlanders compete in NCAA Division I in the Big West Conference.
More than 1,700 international students from over 88 countries study at UCR. International Affairs and the International Students and Scholars office provide visa assistance, orientation and cultural and educational programmes, and international applicants are assessed by the same selection process as U.S.-educated applicants. UCR is accredited as a campus of the University of California, which marked its 150th anniversary in 2019.
Undergraduates apply for aid with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (UCR school code 001316) by the priority date of March 2. UCR reports that nearly 80 percent of undergraduates are awarded aid, and 99 percent of those receive need-based scholarships and/or grants. Aid comprises grants, scholarships, loans and work study. Under the UC Tuition Stability Plan, tuition is fixed for each incoming class for up to six years.
First-year and transfer international students are automatically considered for the Achievement Scholarship for Nonresident Students, worth up to $89,100 over four years for first-year students and up to $44,550 over two years for transfers. Recipients must be UC eligible, submit the Statement of Intent to Register and keep a 3.0 GPA each quarter.
2026-27 estimated budget for a new international first-year undergraduate: UC tuition and fees $15,588, non-resident supplemental tuition $39,270, campus and tech fees $1,202, UC student health insurance $2,824, plus housing, food, books, transportation and personal expenses; the university total is $85,809 in university housing, $83,599 off campus and $75,034 living at home. California residents' budgets are $46,539, $44,329 and $35,764 respectively. New first-year students add a $300 orientation fee and all new students a $225 one-time document fee.
UCR students use Scholarship Universe (UCR and outside scholarships matched through a profile of questions) and the UC Riverside Foundation scholarship database. Emergency loans of $500 (three times a year) and up to $1,000 are available, and the Graduate Division offers fellowships and research and travel grants for graduate students. See UCR financial aid scholarships and graduate funding.
Achievement Scholarship for Nonresident Students →
Rosemary Schraer Memorial Scholarship →
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View scholarships for University of California, Riverside →Applicants complete the A-G course pattern with a grade of C or better: History/Social Science 2 years, English 4 years, Mathematics 3 years (4 recommended, including geometry), Laboratory Science 2 years (3 recommended), Language other than English 2 years (3 recommended), Visual and Performing Arts 1 year and a College-Preparatory elective 1 year. The minimum GPA in A-G courses from Grades 10 and 11 is 3.0 for California residents and 3.4 for non-residents; approved honors courses receive extra weight. UCR is test-free: SAT and ACT scores are not considered in admission decisions or scholarship awards, although submitted scores may be used to meet minimum eligibility or for course placement. Applicants answer 4 of 8 personal insight questions of up to 350 words each, and applications receive a comprehensive review that includes an Academic Index Score.
Applications are made through the UC application. It opens August 1 and is submitted October 1 to November 30 for fall admission; notifications begin in March, the Statement of Intent to Register is due May 1, the housing contract deadline for guaranteed housing is May 10, the final transcript is due July 1 and AP, IB and A-Level scores are due July 15. Fall quarter begins in September. The application fee is $80 per UC campus, with fee waivers available.
AP scores of 3, 4 or 5 earn credit toward graduation. An IB diploma with a score of 30 or above earns 30 quarter units, and IB Higher Level exams with a score of 5 or higher earn 8 quarter units. A-Level grades of A*, A, B or C earn 12 quarter (8 semester) units for academic courses.
Transfer applicants complete at least 60 semester (90 quarter) units of UC-transferable credit with a GPA of at least 2.4 (2.8 for non-California residents) and the seven-course pattern: two English composition courses, one mathematics or quantitative reasoning course and four courses from at least two of arts and humanities, social and behavioural sciences, and physical and biological sciences. Some majors require a higher GPA. Transfer students from California Community Colleges can use the UC Transfer Admission Planner and the Transfer Admission Guarantee. Applicants cannot disregard their college record and apply as first-year students.
Applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents follow the international requirements; selection is the same as for U.S.-educated applicants. The minimum GPA is 3.4 on a 4.0 scale for first-year applicants (about 85 percent) and 2.8 for transfer applicants, assessed using the grading scale of the applicant's own educational system. English proficiency is required if English was not the language of instruction and can be shown by the TOEFL iBT (minimum 80 before January 2026; 4.5 on the revised scale from January 2026), IELTS 6.5 or higher, Duolingo English Test 115, AP English 3 to 5, IB English 6 or 7 at Standard Level or 5 to 7 at Higher Level, a 24 or higher on ACT English Language Arts, 31 or higher on SAT Writing and Language, or a C or better in a UC-transferable English composition course. Tests must be completed by December of the final year of school. Students need a valid passport and an F-1 or J-1 visa. Score reporting codes are 004839 for TOEFL, AP and SAT and 0456 for ACT.
Graduate applicants hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution or a recognised international equivalent with a minimum 3.0 GPA (some programmes set higher standards). Three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose are required (one letter for Anderson Graduate School of Management programmes). Many programmes no longer require the GRE; the Anderson School accepts the GMAT or GRE for the MPAc, MFin, MBA, MS in Business Analytics and PhD programmes. English proficiency is shown by a degree taught in English, a TOEFL iBT of 80 (before January 21, 2026) or 4.0 on the revised scale, or an IELTS Academic overall score of 7 with no component below 6. Applications are submitted online with unofficial transcripts; admitted students from non-U.S. institutions obtain a WES Course-by-Course ICAP evaluation. The application fee is $135. International deadlines: Fall January 5 (fellowship consideration) or June 1 (admission only), Winter September 1, Spring December 1 and Summer March 1; many programmes admit only for fall.
Housing: Aberdeen-Inverness, Dundee, Lothian and Pentland Hills residence halls for first-year students; Falkirk, Glen Mor, North District, North District 2, Stonehaven and The Plaza apartments; family housing. Dundee and North District are owned by American Campus Communities and operated with or by it.
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