Community College Library · San Francisco Bay Area · San Francisco
City College of San Francisco to UC: Honors and International Students
City College of San Francisco follows a semester calendar and is a member of the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program. Most honors units are earned through honors contracts, and the college has no student housing.
- Book a community college transfer consultation
- Semester calendar
- UCLA Transfer Alliance Program member
- Honors Program
- 363 admitted to UC in 2024-25 ↓
- International tuition per unit
- $455 ($409 tuition plus $46 enrollment fee, effective summer 2026)
- Spring 2027 deadline, applicants outside the U.S.
- October 1, 2026
- English requirement (selected tests)
- TOEFL iBT 56, IELTS 5.5, Duolingo 90
- I-20 proof of funds
- $32,000
- UCLA TAP certification requirements
- 15 honors units, UC-transferable GPA of 3.0
- UCLA fall 2025 transfer profile
- 275 applicants, 25% admit rate, GPA 3.72 to 4.00
CCSF to UC: ten years of transfer data
- UC applicants, 2024-25
- 454
- Admitted to UC
- 363
- Admit rate
- 80.0%
- Change in applicants since 2015-16
- −20%
- UC applicants
- Admitted
- Admit rate
- 2025-26 fall only
According to the UC Information Center, 454 City College of San Francisco students applied to UC in 2024-25, and 363 were admitted to at least one campus, 80.0% of applicants; 278 enrolled at UC. The campuses that admitted the most students that year were UC Davis (194), UC Santa Cruz (183), UC San Diego (129). Compared with 567 applicants in 2015-16, that is a decrease of 20%. For 2025-26, only fall data are available so far: 481 applied and 383 were admitted, which cannot be compared directly with the earlier full-year figures.
UC campus comparison, 2024-25
| Campus | Applicants | Admitted | Admit rate | Enrolled | Average GPA of admitted students | Ten-year admissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC systemwide | 454 | 363 | 80.0% | 278 | 3.60 | |
| UC Davis | 297 | 194 | 65.3% | 62 | 3.66 | |
| UC Santa Cruz | 240 | 183 | 76.3% | 31 | 3.56 | |
| UC San Diego | 207 | 129 | 62.3% | 49 | 3.67 | |
| UC Santa Barbara | 181 | 126 | 69.6% | 8 | 3.67 | |
| UC Irvine | 229 | 109 | 47.6% | 21 | 3.75 | |
| UC Berkeley | 334 | 96 | 28.7% | 75 | 3.74 | |
| UCLA | 250 | 60 | 24.0% | 27 | 3.86 | |
| UC Riverside | 91 | 59 | 64.8% | 3 | 3.53 | |
| UC Merced | 52 | 32 | 61.5% | — | 3.48 |
Admit rates are calculated from student counts. UC does not publish categories with fewer than five students; these appear as "—" in the table. GPA is the UC-calculated GPA in transferable courses. Campus names link to the corresponding transfer guides. Source: UC Infocenter · Admissions by source school (visualizedata.ucop.edu, AdmissionsDataTable transfer view), retrieved 2026-09-27.
City College of San Francisco (CCSF) is located in the city of San Francisco, and its main campus is the Ocean Campus. CCSF follows a semester calendar, with fall and spring as the main terms. After completing transfer coursework here, students can apply to transfer to the University of California (UC). CCSF admits international students on F-1 visas, offers an Honors Program, and is on the official member list of the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP). For students who want to study in the city of San Francisco and are targeting UC Berkeley, UC Davis, or UCLA, the CCSF to UC transfer route is a pathway worth considering. The data section below shows how students from this college have transferred to each UC campus.
Transfer support and honors programs
Honors Program: completion requirements
- Open to all students, who may take honors courses or sign an honors contract with the instructor in a regular course; every honors course is noted on the transcript
- Complete general education and major requirements, and earn 15 UC-transferable honors units
- Complete at least 9 honors units by the end of the fall term before transfer
- Maintain a UC-transferable GPA of at least 3.0
- Submit the CCSF TAP application form by early February and complete a certification interview at the Transfer Center
Thresholds come from the official websites of the college, UCLA, and UC Irvine. The actual average admit GPA is UC Information Center data for CCSF students in 2024-25; an average is not an admission cutoff. Further reading: UCLA Transfer Alliance Program, How transfer GPA is calculated.
UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)CCSF is on the official UCLA member list. Students who complete the Honors Program and are certified receive priority consideration when applying to UCLA.
Transfer CenterHandles TAG and TAP certification interviews. CCSF has TAG agreements with UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz; UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego do not offer TAG.
International student admission
Effective summer 2026.
International application periods
- Fall entry2026 reference: deadline May 1
- Spring entrySpring 2027: deadline October 1, 2026
These deadlines apply to new students outside the United States; for transfer students in the United States, the spring 2027 deadline is November 1, 2026. CCSF has not yet published the fall 2027 deadlines, so the fall dates shown are from 2026 for reference: May 1 for new students outside the United States and June 1 for transfer students in the United States. Application review can take up to 3 weeks.
English proficiency (any one)
- 56TOEFL iBT
- 5.5IELTS
- 90DuolingoThe admissions page lists 85
Scores must be no more than two years old. The minimum Duolingo score differs between two pages: the admissions page lists 85 and the credit programs page lists 90, so students should prepare for 90. Students who do not meet the English requirement can apply to the Conditional Admission Program, study in the intensive English program first, and then move into credit courses.
I-20 proof of funds$32,000The bank balance must be at least this amount.
- The Credit Academic Program serves international students who plan to earn a degree or transfer; the application fee is $50.
Further reading: I-20 and visa, Annual budget, English and math placement.
Academic calendar and course planning
Semester calendar: fall and spring are the two main terms, and the units are already semester units, so no conversion is needed. International students must take at least 12 units each fall and spring semester, at least 9 of which must be in-person or hybrid courses, with a maximum of 18 units per semester. CCSF offers few honors courses, so most students earn honors units through honors contracts. Because the Honors Program requires 9 honors units by the fall before transfer, students should begin arranging honors contracts in the first year.
Further reading: The 7-course pattern, Cal-GETC general education courses.
Housing and transportation
- ✕On-campus housing
- The Office of International Programs states that CCSF does not provide on-campus housing or student residence halls.
- ✓Homestay
- The housing information page lists several homestay agencies and student apartments, and the college does not directly endorse or recommend any specific service. Finding housing in San Francisco is difficult, and the college advises students to consult the listed agencies first.
- Transportation
- The Ocean Campus is reachable by public transit: the Muni J, K, and M light rail lines and bus routes such as the 8, 29, 43, and 49 stop near the campus, and students can also take BART to Balboa Park station.
Further reading: Housing and homestays.
EDUBUS advice
- Before applying
For spring entry, the deadline for applicants outside the United States is October 1 of the preceding year, so English scores and bank statements need to be prepared early. Students using Duolingo should prepare for a score of 90.
- After receiving the I-20
The college has no student housing, so secure a homestay or student apartment as early as possible.
- First year
CCSF offers few honors courses, so students targeting UCLA should arrange honors contracts with instructors in the first year.
- Before the second fall
TAP certification requires 9 honors units by the fall before transfer and a UC-transferable GPA of at least 3.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
How difficult is it to transfer from City College of San Francisco to UCLA?
The UCLA fall 2025 transfer profile shows that 275 CCSF students applied to UCLA, with an admit rate of 25%. The 25th to 75th percentile GPA of admitted students was 3.72 to 4.00. CCSF is a TAP member, and certified students receive priority consideration, although this is not a guarantee of admission.
What is the tuition for international students at City College of San Francisco?
According to the college tuition page, starting in summer 2026, international students pay $409 per unit in tuition plus a $46 enrollment fee, for a total of $455 per unit. International applicants must submit a bank statement showing a balance of at least $32,000, and the $50 application fee is nonrefundable.
When do international students apply to CCSF?
The application period for fall 2026 has closed. For spring 2027 entry, new students applying for a visa from their home country must submit the application, fee, and documents by October 1, 2026. For transfer students already in the United States in F-1 status, the deadline is November 1, 2026. The college has not yet published the fall 2027 deadlines; for reference, the fall 2026 deadlines were May 1 for new students outside the United States and June 1 for transfer students in the United States.
Can a student apply to CCSF without a TOEFL score?
Yes, through the Conditional Admission Program. Students first study in the intensive English program, and after passing the on-campus TOEFL exam with the required score, they move into credit courses the following semester.
Sources and Verification Date12 official sources · Last checked September 27, 2026
- Admissions by source school, transfer data (UC Infocenter, retrieved 2026-09-27)universityofcalifornia.edu
- Admissions for International Students (City College of San Francisco)ccsf.edu
- Admissions for International Students (City College of San Francisco, archived March 2026, with fall 2026 deadlines)web.archive.org
- Credit (Academic) Programs for International Students (City College of San Francisco)ccsf.edu
- Tuition and Fees (City College of San Francisco)ccsf.edu
- Honors Program (City College of San Francisco)ccsf.edu
- Transferring from CCSF with Honors (City College of San Francisco)ccsf.edu
- UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (UCLA Undergraduate Admission)admission.ucla.edu
- Housing Information (City College of San Francisco Office of International Programs)ccsf.edu
- Ocean Campus (City College of San Francisco)ccsf.edu
- Transfer Profile by Community College (UCLA, fall 2025)admission.ucla.edu
- Transfer basic requirements (UC Admissions)admission.universityofcalifornia.edu
Campus photo: Mariwlqs, 2025, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Admission rules, tuition, deadlines, and visa policies change every year. Before applying, confirm the current information published by the college and the relevant official agencies.
