Come to Highlander Day, the UCR Open House! Freshman: April 4, Transfer: May 2
Undergraduate Admissions
Follow Your Heart to UCR!
Wherever your journey started, you will find a home at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). You will be embraced by a diverse community of students and faculty who are driven by heart, and who will help you turn your passion into purpose!
Follow your heart to UCR and take your place at one of the most highly ranked and respected universities in the world. UCR stands proud as one of 10 schools within the prestigious UC system, and honors a heritage of world-class academic excellence.
On the Rise
UCR is America’s fastest-rising ranked university.
(U.S. News & World Report, 2019)
#1
UCR is the nation's leader for social mobility.
(U.S. News & World Report, 2020)
World Class
UCR is among the top 11% of ranked world universities.
(Center for World University Rankings, 2019–20)
Distinguished Faculty
UCR’s distinguished faculty boasts two Nobel Laureates and 13 members of the National Academies of Sciences and Medicine.
Top 12
One of America's top 12 universities.
(Forbes, "America's Best Value Colleges")
Smart Money
With graduates' mid-career pay averaging $118,400, UCR is the 12th Best College for Your Money potential.
(PayScale 2019-20 College Salary Report)
“… (UCR students are) as bright and engaged as any students I’ve taught at Harvard or Berkeley, and also determined to give back to their communities and their society. UCR has the energy of an underdog that knows it’s winning the race that’s worth winning. I wish we could clone UCR all over America.”
Robert B. Reich
UC Berkeley professor, former U.S. Secretary of Labor and best-selling author
Feel the Love at UCR!
We Care.
Your success is our top priority. Ease into college life with help from faculty, peer mentors and first-year learning communities. Get a tutor at the Academic Resource Center (ARC). Feel at home with eight Ethnic & Gender Programs. “Finish in Four” to receive your degree with a sooner-than-later return on your investment. We’ll even connect you to employers on campus and around the world.
We Welcome the Real You.
At UCR, our strength lies in our diversity. You'll be joining a community of faculty and students from over 75 countries and countless cultural identities to exchange knowledge, build social mobility and shape future leaders. To foster personal growth and expression, you can engage in more than 450 student-led groups, including cultural, spiritual, academic, artistic and fraternity/sorority organizations.
We Have Fun.
Students boost study-life balance with fun, friends and exploration. Work out at the state-of-the-art Student Recreation Center (SRC). Go camping at Yosemite or scuba diving at the beach with our Outdoor Excursion trips. Join the student body at one of our campus music festivals with featured artists such as Lil’ Uzi Vert, DJ Snake and Kendrick Lamar.
We Give Back.
UCR students do good in the world. You'll find active and energized groups ready to share, support and empower your passion on issues affecting our communities and the world. For the annual Highlander Day of Service, hundreds of UCR students, alumni, parents and friends join forces to participate in over 25 community service events across California.
HOW TO
APPLY
View admission requirements:
You Can Afford a UC Degree. We'll Show You How.
A UC degree is more affordable than you might think! Grants, scholarships, loans and work-study are offered to qualified students by our Financial Aid office.
Offering Californians one of the most generous financial aid packages in the nation, UCR is the 13th best university in the western United States. (Money Magazine, 2018)
92%
of UCR undergraduate students received some form of financial aid.
72%
of UCR transfer students received some form of financial aid.
76%
of students’ financial aid need was met with need-based aid.
(Financial Aid Office, 2018–19)
Learn How Affordable a UC Degree Can Be!
“My older siblings attended UCR, and they all grew to be passionate and successful individuals. I believe UCR allowed them to find their true passions in life, and so I decided to find mine as well. UCR is a great place to find yourself and to pursue your future ambitions.”
Mohamed Hussein '18 (Neuroscience)
Get to Know UCR and Sunny Riverside, California.
DISCOVER ALL THAT AWAITS YOU AT UCR!
With a campus size of 1,900 acres (7.68 km2), there’s a lot to discover at UCR. The best way to explore our park-like campus is with an individual or family walking tour led by a student guide.
Experience a “day in the life” of a UCR student with a visit to a library, the Highlander Union Building (HUB), the Campus Store, popular student hangouts and more. You can also tour UCR’s Engineering Labs, Student Recreation Center and Botanic Gardens.
Can’t make it to UCR? Explore the campus from anywhere using our 360-degree virtual tours.
LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE IN RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA
The City of Riverside is a vibrant college town that welcomes and supports a diverse community that is attracted to the city's perfect balance of small-town friendliness and big-city fun.
Take a few steps off the UCR campus to find eclectic eateries, music venues, craft breweries, indie shops, boba spots and coffee houses. No wonder Riverside was named the best city to live in! (Press Enterprise, Best of IE, 2017)
Learn all about Riverside and see why it's not just a great place to learn, it's an amazing place to live!
Highlander Headlines
They Followed Their Hearts to UCR. Now It’s Your Turn!
Our students are driven by heart. They give back and they do good in the world. Now it's your turn!
Follow your heart to UCR. We'll welcome your passions and support your dreams.