Home Colleges California University of California Riverside
Public 4-Year Minimally Selective Riverside, CA NCAA Division I without football

University of California Riverside

Riverside, CA

75%
Acceptance Rate
$43,603/yr
Est. Cost of Attendancesum of published cost components
$14,304/yr
Avg Price After Aid
76.3%
6-yr Grad Rate
22,593
Undergrads

About University of California Riverside

University of California-Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California, a large city. The university serves an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 22,593 students with a student-to-faculty ratio of 22:1.

Type
Public 4-Year
Undergrads
22,593
Avg Faculty Salary
$153,881
Athletics
NCAA Division I without football
Endowment
$277.1M
Pell Students
46.9%
First-Gen
48.3%
What University of California Riverside Is Known For
Majors far more concentrated here than at colleges nationally
Social and Philosophical Foundations of... 160 graduates · 3% of degrees here vs 0.02% nationally 149×
Research and Experimental Psychology 586 graduates · 10.9% of degrees here vs 0.6% nationally 18×
Public Policy Analysis 84 graduates · 1.6% of degrees here vs 0.1% nationally 16×
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 306 graduates · 5.7% of degrees here vs 0.76% nationally
Sociology 247 graduates · 4.6% of degrees here vs 1.09% nationally
SOURCEIPEDS Completions 2023, against the national share at the same degree level
Admissions
75%
Acceptance rate · Minimally Selective
62,807
Applicants
Can I Get In? →
Cost & Aid
$14,304 avg net
Average net price after aid
$8,852
Under $30K income
$277.1M
Endowment
Can I Afford It? →
Outcomes
$48,593 median
Median earnings 6 years after entering
76.3%
6-yr Grad Rate
$17,500
Median Debt
Is It Worth It? →

University of California Riverside Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Acceptance Rate
75%
62,807 applicants
Student:Faculty Ratio
22:1
Undergrad instruction

UC Riverside admits 75% of applicants, indicating relatively accessible admission standards. Prospective students with strong academic preparation have a substantial likelihood of acceptance at this public institution.

How Selective Is That, Really?
Each dot is one of 100 applicants · Source: school's Common Data Set, else College Scorecard
1 in 2 applicants is admitted · 62,807 applied
10-Year Acceptance Rate Trend
10-year trend · Source: College Scorecard
10 years
GPA Distribution — Enrolled Students
8-band breakdown · Source: Common Data Set
4.0
33.9%
3.75–3.99
26.9%
3.50–3.74
23.8%
3.25–3.49
11.9%
3.00–3.24
3.1%
2.50–2.99
0.4%
2.00–2.49
Below 2.0

Admissions Requirements

Admission Factor Weights
Official weights from submitted institutional data · Source: Common Data Set, section C7
Rigor of coursework Important
Class rank Not Considered
Academic GPA Very Important
Standardized test scores Not Considered
Application essay Very Important
Recommendations Not Considered
Class Rank Profile
Source: Common Data Set

Not reported reliably. University of California Riverside files 100% in all three class-rank bands, which describes no distribution of the class, so the profile is not shown.

Waitlist Statistics
Source: Common Data Set
7,215
Offered spot
3,884
Accepted offer
2,789
Admitted from WL
Who Applies, and Who Gets In
First-year applicants, admits and enrollees by gender
Applied Admitted Rate Enrolled
Men 29,509 17,615 59.7% 2,519
Women 33,298 22,143 66.5% 3,002
SOURCEIPEDS Admissions — Fall 2023 admissions cycle
How These Admissions Numbers Compare
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

University of California Riverside admits 76.4% of applicants — a typical similar college admits 83%.

Acceptance rate
This school
76.4%
Similar colleges (532)
83%
CA (130)
76.5%
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (70)
74.9%
National (1,934)
78.1%

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

University of California Riverside Tuition, Fees & Cost of Attendance

Avg Net Price
$14,304
Average for all students receiving federal aid, 2023-24
Median Federal Debt
$17,500
Federal Loan Rate
31%
Students borrowing federal loans

UC Riverside's cost of attendance is $43,603, while the average net price is $14,304, meaning most students pay significantly less than the sticker price.

Cost of Attendance Breakdown
Estimated annual costs · on-campus, 2023-24 · Source: College Scorecard
$43,603
In-state Tuition & Fees
$15,606
36%
Room & Board
$20,691
47%
Books & Supplies
$1,576
4%
Other Expenses
$5,730
13%

What You'd Actually Pay by Family Income

What You'd Actually Pay by Family Income
Average net price after all grants and scholarships · Source: College Scorecard (IPEDS net price)
Under $30,000
$8,852
$30,001 – $48,000
$9,840
$48,001 – $75,000
$13,111
$75,001 – $110,000
$16,571
Over $110,000
$30,393
Full Cost of Attendance
Source: College Scorecard
2023-24

Student Loan Debt

How Many Students Borrow
Undergraduates taking on any loan
Take out a loan
71%
Federal loans
31%

Graduates who borrowed carry a median monthly repayment of about $186.

SOURCECollege Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education
How This Price Compares
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

After aid, University of California Riverside costs $14,304 a year — about 2% less than a typical similar college.

Cost of attendance
This school
$38,942
Similar colleges (565)
$25,083
CA (253)
$22,850
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (124)
$28,033
National (3,197)
$25,367
Students taking a loan
This school
70.7%
Similar colleges (583)
84.8%
CA (409)
84.4%
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (202)
86.6%
National (4,096)
86.4%
Median debt at graduation
This school
$17,500
Similar colleges (585)
$21,000
CA (416)
$10,750
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (212)
$12,419
National (4,347)
$13,097
Average net price
This school
$14,304
Similar colleges (565)
$14,600
CA (503)
$20,807
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (257)
$21,840
National (5,106)
$17,160

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

University of California Riverside Graduation Rate & Student Outcomes

6-yr Grad Rate
76.3%
Median Earnings 6yr
$48,593
6 years after entering

UC-Riverside has a graduation rate of 76.3%. Graduates earn a median of $48,593 six years after enrollment and $67,699 ten years after enrollment.

Graduate Earnings After College

Median Graduate Earnings Over Time
6 and 10 years after entering · includes all students, not just graduates · Source: College Scorecard
Median Earnings by Gender · 6 Years After Entering
Students working 6 years after entering · Source: College Scorecard
$51,891
Men
$46,334
Women
Graduation Rate: Pell vs. Non-Pell
6-year graduation rate by grant status · Source: College Scorecard
75.4%
Pell recipients
76%
Non-Pell students

Top Majors & Programs

Top Majors by Graduates
Most recent year available · bachelor's degrees only · Source: IPEDS Completions 2023
MajorGraduates
Business Administration and Management,...812
Research and Experimental Psychology, Other586
Biology/Biological Sciences, General582
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics306
Computer Science301
Sociology, General247
Political Science and Government, General196
Social and Philosophical Foundations of...160
Mathematics, General129
Mechanical Engineering121
Graduation Rate by Race & Ethnicity
Completing within six years
Asian
81.9%
White
74.4%
Hispanic
72.2%
Black
64.2%
SOURCECollege Scorecard — groups with too few students to report are omitted
Earnings Further Out
The longer horizon

Median earnings eight years after entering University of California Riverside are $59,554, and 64% of former students earn more than $25,000 six years after entry.

SOURCECollege Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education
How These Outcomes Compare
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

Six years after entry, former University of California Riverside students earn $48,593 — 6% more than at a typical similar college.

Median earnings, 10 years
This school
$67,699
Similar colleges (587)
$54,560
CA (462)
$41,247
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (239)
$41,472
National (4,696)
$40,782
Median earnings, 6 years
This school
$48,593
Similar colleges (589)
$46,058
CA (488)
$36,007
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (250)
$35,608
National (4,847)
$35,433
Graduation rate
This school
76.3%
Similar colleges (566)
51.7%
CA (168)
61.2%
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (94)
62.7%
National (2,168)
52.3%
Freshman retention
This school
87.9%
Similar colleges (567)
76%
CA (124)
81.4%
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (68)
80.1%
National (1,841)
75.7%

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

University of California Riverside Campus, Athletics & Faculty

UC Riverside, located in Riverside, California, enrolls 22,593 undergraduates in a large city setting. The student body includes 48.3% first-generation students and 52.6% women, with 46.9% receiving Pell grants.

Student Demographics
Undergraduate enrollment · Source: College Scorecard / IPEDS
Race & Ethnicity
White
10.3%
Asian
35.9%
Hispanic
39.9%
Black
3.5%
Other Indicators
First-generation
48.3%
Pell grant recipients
46.9%
Women
52.6%
University of California Riverside Athletics
Total Revenue
$7.1M
Total Expense
$7.1M
Athletes
386
176 men · 210 women
Head Coach Salaries
Men's vs Women's programs · Source: Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act
Men's sports
$134,417
Women's sports
$106,526

Average head coach salary by program gender.

Athletic Aid
Scholarship spending by gender · Source: Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act
Men's aid
$1,768,706
Women's aid
$2,497,752
Academic Resources
989
Full-time faculty
$153,881
Avg faculty salary
11,577
FT staff
$277.1M
Endowment
Faculty Salary by Gender
All instructional ranks combined · Source: IPEDS Human Resources
Men (avg)
$161,408
Women (avg)
$142,796
Overall avg
$153,881
Who Is on Campus
Beyond the undergraduate headcount
Undergraduates
22,593
Graduate students
3,784
Varsity Athletes
Play a varsity sport
1.4%

298 of 21,978 undergraduates, counting each athlete once regardless of how many sports they play.

SOURCEIPEDS enrollment; Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act filings
Online & Distance Learning
How much of the teaching happens remotely
Undergrads fully online
0.6%
Undergrads taking any
36.8%
Grad students fully online
3.9%

142 of 22,646 undergraduates study entirely at a distance, against 146 of 3,780 graduate students.

SOURCEIPEDS Fall Enrollment, distance education status

University of California Riverside is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission and operates its own medical school and teaching hospital.

How This Campus Compares
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median
Pell grant share
This school
46.9%
Similar colleges (590)
34%
CA (541)
43.5%
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (276)
48.4%
National (5,367)
40.1%
Students per faculty member
This school
22:1
Similar colleges (595)
16:1
CA (559)
19:1
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (285)
19:1
National (5,427)
15:1

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Every Major at University of California Riverside
69 fields of study, bachelor's degree level, grouped by subject area
5,399 graduates
Social Sciences 922 grads · 8 majors
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 306
Sociology, General 247
Political Science and Government, General 196
Anthropology, General 65
International Relations and Affairs 56
Political Science and Government, Other 28
Social Sciences, Other 20
Economics, Other 4
Biological and Biomedical Sciences 918 grads · 7 majors
Biology/Biological Sciences, General 582
Biochemistry 111
Neuroscience 107
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology 64
Microbiology, General 35
Entomology 11
Botany/Plant Biology 8
Business and Marketing 815 grads · 2 majors
Business Administration and Management,... 812
Actuarial Science 3
Psychology 586 grads · 1 major
Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 586
Engineering 390 grads · 7 majors
Mechanical Engineering 121
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 74
Electrical and Electronics Engineering 62
Chemical Engineering 48
Computer Engineering, General 41
Environmental/Environmental Health... 23
Materials Engineering 21
Computer and Information Sciences 386 grads · 3 majors
Computer Science 301
Information Science/Studies 52
Information Technology 33
Visual and Performing Arts 270 grads · 7 majors
Cinematography and Film/Video Production 113
Film/Cinema/Media Studies 72
Art/Art Studies, General 30
Art History, Criticism and Conservation 23
Music, General 20
Dance, General 11
Music, Other 1
Education 160 grads · 1 major
Social and Philosophical Foundations of... 160
English Language and Literature 156 grads · 2 majors
English Language and Literature, General 99
Creative Writing 57
Mathematics and Statistics 151 grads · 2 majors
Mathematics, General 129
Statistics, General 22
Physical Sciences 117 grads · 4 majors
Chemistry, General 59
Physics, General 42
Geology/Earth Science, General 13
Geophysics and Seismology 3
History 106 grads · 2 majors
History, General 98
History, Other 8
Public Administration and Social Services 95 grads · 2 majors
Public Policy Analysis, General 84
Public Administration 11
Foreign Languages and Linguistics 84 grads · 6 majors
Linguistics 40
Spanish Language and Literature 33
Japanese Language and Literature 4
Comparative Literature 3
Foreign Languages and Literatures, General 2
French Language and Literature 2
Liberal Arts and General Studies 83 grads · 1 major
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 83
Natural Resources and Conservation 49 grads · 1 major
Environmental Science 49
Multidisciplinary Studies 46 grads · 3 majors
Sustainability Studies 25
International/Globalization Studies 19
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 2
Area, Ethnic and Gender Studies 35 grads · 7 majors
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and... 17
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and... 9
African-American/Black Studies 2
Asian Studies/Civilization 2
Latin American Studies 2
Russian Studies 2
American Indian/Native American Studies 1
Philosophy and Religious Studies 30 grads · 3 majors
Philosophy 24
Philosophy, Other 4
Religion/Religious Studies 2
SOURCEIPEDS Completions 2023 — first majors only, so a student with a double major is counted once

University of California Riverside Location & Campus Safety

University of California Riverside is in Riverside, CA, in what IPEDS classifies as a large city setting. The campus sits about 4.5 miles from the center of Riverside. There are 13 other colleges within 25 miles, and Riverside, CA is 4.5 miles away.

University of California Riverside
Large city
Campus Setting
4.5 mi
To City Center
13
Colleges Within 25 mi
316,241
Riverside Population
Living in Riverside
Cost of living and getting around, for the whole city — not the campus
ACS 2023
$1,812
Median Rent / mo
$88,575
Median Household Income
33.8%
Rent as % of Income
How People Commute
Drive alone
74.7%
Walk
2.4%
Public transit
1.5%

Riverside County scores 10.7 out of 20 on the EPA National Walkability Index — above average walkable. The index is a county-wide average of block groups, so it describes the surrounding area rather than the campus itself.

Undergraduates make up about 9.9% of Riverside's residents.

SOURCEU.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates; EPA National Walkability Index

Campus Safety at University of California Riverside

Every college that receives federal financial aid must publish its crime statistics each year under the Clery Act. These are the figures University of California Riverside reported for 2024.

473
On-Campus Offenses
29
In Residence Halls
17.9
Per 1,000 Students
35
Domestic, Dating & Stalking

Read these numbers carefully. A Clery figure counts reports, not incidents. A university with active reporting channels, a large campus police force and a teaching hospital will record more offenses than one where the same events go unreported — so a higher count is not evidence of a more dangerous campus, and a low count is not evidence of a safe one. In 2024, 833 campuses with more than 1,000 students reported no offenses at all. Use these figures to ask a college questions, not to rank one against another.

Reported On-Campus Offenses by Year
Criminal offenses reported on campus, including residence halls · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Clery Act disclosures
2022
164
2023
241
2024
473
What Was Reported in 2024
On-campus criminal offenses by category
Motor vehicle theft
389
Burglary
67
Sexual offenses
9
Aggravated assault
5
Robbery
2
Arson
1

Separately, University of California Riverside reported 53 arrests and 61 disciplinary referrals for weapons, drug and liquor law violations on campus. Referrals for alcohol violations are usually the largest category at residential colleges and reflect how a school handles student conduct internally.

SOURCEU.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety and Security — Clery Act disclosures, 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about University of California Riverside admissions, costs, and outcomes.