The 5 Easiest UCs to Transfer Into (Real Admit Rates)

If UCLA and Berkeley feel out of reach, here's the part nobody tells you: the easiest UCs to transfer into admit most of the people who apply. Same UC system, same diploma family, admit rates up to 72%. Here are the five, with the real published numbers. And whichever one you pick, on our platform you put in your community college and your UC, and you get the exact classes that get you there.

The easiest UCs to transfer into, ranked

Rates are each campus's latest published transfer admit data. GPA is the middle range of admitted transfers.

Campus	Transfer admit rate	US News rank	Admit GPA range
UC Merced	≈72%	#57	3.18–3.80
UC Santa Cruz	≈69%	#88	3.24–3.90
UC Riverside	≈68%	#75	3.23–3.83
UC Santa Barbara	≈62%	#40	3.50–3.94
UC Davis	57%	#32	3.44–3.92

Admit rates from UC's published transfer admit data; rankings from US News.

72%

of transfer applicants got into UC Merced in the latest published cycle

UC transfer admit data

The five campuses

UC Merced

The newest UC and the friendliest door in the system. Real research campus, rising fast in the rankings, and admits took a 3.18 to 3.80 GPA range.

UC Santa Cruz

A campus in a redwood forest with strong CS, games, and marine science. About two in three transfer applicants get in.

UC Riverside

The UC that punches hardest for social mobility, near LA at a fraction of the stress. Roughly 68% of transfers get in.

UC Santa Barbara

Top-40 national university on an actual beach. About 62% of transfer applicants get in, but admits sit at a 3.50 to 3.94 GPA, so it rewards a clean record.

UC Davis

The hardest school on this list still admits over half. Ranked #32 nationally, elite in ag, bio, and pre-vet, and deeply transfer-friendly by culture.

Picked your UC? Get the classes that get you in.

Put in your community college and your UC. That's it.

Get My Transfer Plan

Bottom line

The easiest UCs to transfer into are not consolation prizes. They are the same system, several sit inside the top-15 public universities nationally, and all five hand out guaranteed seats through TAG if you meet the requirements. Check how the rates change by major, confirm the GPA your target expects, and line up the exact classes. One of these five says yes to most people who do that.

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest UC to get into as a transfer?

UC Merced, which admitted about 72% of transfer applicants in the latest published cycle. UC Santa Cruz and UC Riverside follow at roughly two in three.

Is UC Merced a good school or just an easy one?

Both. It is a real research university, ranked in the US News top 60 nationally, with the same UC degree and UC faculty system as every other campus. It is just the newest and least famous.

Do any of these UCs guarantee transfer admission?

All five offer TAG, the Transfer Admission Guarantee. Meet the GPA and course requirements, file the TAG application in September, and the seat is guaranteed before you even apply.

What GPA do I need for the easiest UCs?

Admitted transfers mostly sit between 3.2 and 3.9 depending on campus and major. Davis and Santa Barbara run higher, Merced, Riverside, and Santa Cruz admit strong students starting near 3.2.