UC Santa Cruz Cognitive Science
Transfer Acceptance Rate, GPA and Classes

For fall 2025, 63% of transfer applicants to UC Santa Cruz Cognitive Science were admitted (86 of 137). Admitted transfers' GPAs ranged 3.37–3.91.

The major preparation UC Santa Cruz lists for Cognitive Science transfers starts with AM 11A, MATH 11A and MATH 16A; the full list is below.

115 California community colleges have a current transfer agreement with UCSC for this major. Pick yours below to see which of its classes count.

63%

UCSC Cognitive Science transfer admit rate, fall 2025

3.37–3.91

GPA range of admitted transfers

137

Transfer applicants, 86 admitted

115

California community colleges with a transfer agreement for Cognitive Science

Source: UC Information Center, Fall 2025 transfer admissions by major.

Your community college

Which classes count at your community college?

Pick your college to see its class for each UCSC requirement.

Major Requirements

UC Santa Cruz Cognitive Science Major Preparation

The courses UC Santa Cruz lists as Cognitive Science major preparation for transfer applicants, for the 2025-26 academic year. Course numbers are UCSC's own; pick your community college above to see the matching class there.

Required major preparation courses

Complete 1 of these

AM 11A Mathematical Methods for Economists I
MATH 11A Calculus with Applications
MATH 16A Mathematics for Life Sciences
MATH 19A Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics

Complete 1 of these options

PSYC 2 Introduction to Psychological Statistics
STAT 5 Statistics
STAT 7 Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences · STAT 7L Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences Laboratory

Complete 1 of these

ECE 13 Computer Systems and C Programming
CSE 13S Computer Systems and C Programming
CSE 20 Beginning Programming in Python
CSE 30 Programming Abstractions: Python

Also listed by UCSC

UCSC lists these under the headings shown, apart from the list above.

Recommended preparation

PSYC 20 Cognition: Fundamental Theories

Where a list says “courses listed”, or options are separated by a dot, UCSC's own Cognitive Science requirements say exactly which of those courses you need.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the UC Santa Cruz Cognitive Science transfer acceptance rate?

For fall 2025, 63% of transfer applicants to UC Santa Cruz Cognitive Science were admitted (86 of 137). Admitted transfers' GPAs ranged 3.37–3.91.

Does UC Santa Cruz have a Cognitive Science major for transfer students?

Yes. UC Santa Cruz offers Cognitive Science (B.S.) and lists the major preparation it expects transfer applicants to complete.

What classes do I need to transfer to UC Santa Cruz for Cognitive Science?

UC Santa Cruz's Cognitive Science major preparation includes AM 11A, MATH 11A, MATH 16A, MATH 19A, PSYC 2 and STAT 5, with more courses in the list on this page. Pick your community college on this page to see which of its classes match.