Community College Library · San Francisco Bay Area · Cupertino
De Anza College to UC: Quarter Units and the Honors Program
De Anza College is a quarter-system college in Cupertino and a member of the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program. International students can start in any of four terms each year, and transfer planning must first convert quarter units into semester units.
- Book a community college transfer consultation
- Quarter calendar
- UCLA Transfer Alliance Program member
- Honors Program
- 1,402 admitted to UC in 2024-25 ↓
- International tuition per quarter unit
- $284 (effective July 1, 2026)
- F-1 application deadlines (applying from outside the U.S.)
- Fall: August 15; winter: November 15; spring: February 15
- English requirements (selected tests)
- TOEFL iBT 61 or 3.5 on the new score scale, IELTS 5.5, Duolingo 95
- Annual budget and proof of funds
- $27,189 (three quarters, 12 units per quarter)
- Academic calendar
- Quarter system; 90 quarter units equal 60 semester units
- UCLA fall 2025 transfer profile
- 1,126 applicants, 22% admit rate, GPA 3.84 to 4.00
De Anza to UC: ten years of transfer data
- UC applicants, 2024-25
- 1,727
- Admitted to UC
- 1,402
- Admit rate
- 81.2%
- Change in applicants since 2015-16
- +16%
- UC applicants
- Admitted
- Admit rate
- 2025-26 fall only
According to the UC Information Center, 1,727 De Anza College students applied to UC in 2024-25, and 1,402 were admitted to at least one campus, 81.2% of applicants; 1,017 enrolled at UC. The campuses that admitted the most students that year were UC Davis (755), UC Santa Cruz (640), UC San Diego (625). Compared with 1,485 applicants in 2015-16, that is an increase of 16%. For 2025-26, only fall data are available so far: 1,611 applied and 1,326 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 | 1,727 | 1,402 | 81.2% | 1,017 | 3.64 | |
| UC Davis | 1,117 | 755 | 67.6% | 180 | 3.72 | |
| UC Santa Cruz | 854 | 640 | 74.9% | 113 | 3.59 | |
| UC San Diego | 1,017 | 625 | 61.5% | 208 | 3.75 | |
| UC Santa Barbara | 864 | 574 | 66.4% | 66 | 3.73 | |
| UC Irvine | 1,150 | 451 | 39.2% | 87 | 3.80 | |
| UC Riverside | 498 | 301 | 60.4% | 15 | 3.55 | |
| UC Berkeley | 1,148 | 289 | 25.2% | 214 | 3.79 | |
| UCLA | 1,134 | 242 | 21.3% | 130 | 3.90 | |
| UC Merced | 234 | 149 | 63.7% | 4 | 3.46 |
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.
De Anza College is located in Cupertino, in Santa Clara County in the San Francisco Bay Area, and belongs to the Foothill-De Anza Community College District together with Foothill College. De Anza College uses a quarter system, which is its biggest difference from most Southern California community colleges. After completing transfer coursework here, students can apply to transfer to the University of California (UC). The college admits international students on F-1 visas, with four entry terms each year. De Anza College offers an Honors Program and is on the official member list of the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP). For students who study in the Bay Area and aim for campuses such as UC Berkeley or UCLA, the path from De Anza College to UC is well established, but course selection and unit checks must all be recalculated for the quarter system. The data section further down this page shows how students from this college have transferred to each UC campus.
Transfer support and honors programs
Honors Program: completion requirements
- To apply, students must be eligible to enroll in the English writing course EWRT 1A, or must have completed that course or an equivalent
- A GPA of 3.3 after completing 15 UC-transferable quarter units, or graduation from a U.S. high school within the past 9 months with an unweighted GPA of 3.5
- Students who meet the writing requirement but not the GPA requirement may join on a probationary basis and take at most one honors course per quarter
- For TAP certification, students must complete 23 honors units by the end of the spring before transfer, with at least 10 completed by the end of the fall before transfer
- Complete the prerequisites for the intended major and apply for TAP by the end of January
Thresholds come from the official websites of the college, UCLA, and UC Irvine. The actual average admit GPA is UC Information Center data for De Anza 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)De Anza is on the official UCLA list of member colleges. Students who complete the Honors Program and earn certification receive priority consideration when applying to UCLA. UCLA requires that students entering in fall 2027 have completed two full years of college; students who have attended for only one year cannot receive TAP certification.
Transfer CenterThe Transfer Center offers dedicated workshops on the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) that explain the UC Transfer Admission Planner (UC TAP) system and the submission steps; before submitting a TAG in September, students can meet with a counselor at the Transfer Center or the Counseling Center. TAG questions from international students are handled by counselors in International Student Programs.
International student admission
Charged per quarter unit, effective July 1, 2026. Based on 12 units in each of the fall, winter, and spring quarters, annual tuition and fees total $10,224. The per-unit rate for quarter units cannot be compared directly with that of semester-system colleges; compare annual totals instead.
International application periods
- Fall admissionAugust 15 deadline
- Winter admissionNovember 15 deadline
- Spring admissionFebruary 15 deadline
The deadlines above apply to applicants outside the U.S. For transfer students already in the U.S., the deadlines are September 10 for fall, December 5 for winter, and March 5 for spring. The college admits new international students in four terms each year (fall, winter, spring, and summer), and the application fee is $75.
English proficiency (any one)
- 61TOEFL iBTor 3.5 on the new score scale
- 5.5IELTS
- 95Duolingo
Scores must be no more than two years old.
I-20 proof of funds$27,189Total annual budget, based on three quarters at 12 units per quarter, including $10,224 in tuition and fees and $1,665 in mandatory health insurance. Even if the student lives with relatives or friends, the amount on the bank statement may not be lower than the total annual budget.
- The housing line in the annual budget is based on a double room in district student housing at $1,030 per month for 10 months.
- Students generally must be at least 18 years old; students 16 or older who have completed high school may also enroll.
Further reading: I-20 and visa, Annual budget, English and math placement.
Academic calendar and course planning
Quarter calendar: three quarters per academic year; quarter units are multiplied by 2/3 to convert to semester units. At 15 units per quarter, students complete exactly 90 quarter units in six quarters over two years; a course worth 5 quarter units equals about 3.3 semester units. Each academic year has three registration periods and three rounds of final exams, and international students must take at least 12 units each quarter.
Further reading: The 7-course pattern, Cal-GETC general education courses.
Housing and transportation
- ✓District student housing
- McClellan Terrace, near the college, offers furnished shared rooms in two-bedroom units at $950 to $1,200 per person per month. Spaces are limited, and applicants are placed on a waiting list once they are filled; the college's cost page states that this housing is open only to enrolled students 18 or older.
- ✓Homestay
- The international student housing page introduces the homestay agency International Student Placements and notes that the program is not operated by the college. The housing page also lists off-campus rentals.
- Transportation
- Enrolled students can use the VTA SmartPass for unlimited rides on VTA buses and light rail within Santa Clara County. Bus lines that stop directly at the college include 23, 25, 51, 55, and Rapid 523.
Further reading: Housing and homestays.
EDUBUS advice
- Before enrollment
District housing spaces are limited and open only to students 18 or older, so international students under 18 need to arrange a homestay in advance.
- First year
Students targeting UCLA should ideally join the Honors Program in their first year and schedule honors courses quarter by quarter.
- Before fall of the second year
TAP certification requires 23 honors units, 10 of which must be completed by the end of the fall before transfer.
- At every registration
When checking UC units, always count 90 quarter units as equal to 60 semester units.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it difficult to transfer from De Anza College to UCLA?
According to the UCLA transfer profile for fall 2025, 1,126 students from De Anza College applied to UCLA, and the admit rate was 22%. The 25th to 75th percentile GPA of admitted students ranged from 3.84 to 4.00. De Anza College is a TAP member, and students who complete the Honors Program and earn certification receive priority consideration, but this is not a guarantee of admission.
What is the tuition for international students at De Anza College?
The college charges $284 per quarter unit, effective July 1, 2026. Based on 12 units in each of the fall, winter, and spring quarters, annual tuition and fees total $10,224, and the total annual budget is $27,189. The amount on the bank statement may not be lower than this total budget.
How are units from a quarter-system college counted for UC transfer?
UC requires 60 semester units, which equals 90 quarter units. Multiplying quarter units by 2/3 gives semester units; for example, 45 quarter units equal 30 semester units. Course catalogs at semester-system colleges differ from those at quarter-system colleges, so students should convert units first both when choosing courses and when comparing tuition.
How does a student join the De Anza College Honors Program?
Applicants must be eligible to enroll in EWRT 1A, the English writing course. For GPA, applicants must reach 3.3 after completing 15 UC-transferable quarter units, or must have graduated from a U.S. high school within the past 9 months with an unweighted GPA of 3.5. Students who meet the writing requirement but not the GPA requirement may apply for probationary admission.
Sources and Verification Date11 official sources · Last checked September 27, 2026
- Admissions by source school, transfer data (UC Infocenter, retrieved 2026-09-27)universityofcalifornia.edu
- ISP: Apply for Admission (De Anza College International Student Programs)deanza.edu
- Costs of Attending (De Anza College International Student Programs)deanza.edu
- Honors Eligibility (De Anza College Honors Program)deanza.edu
- UCLA TAP (De Anza College Honors Program)deanza.edu
- UC Transfer Admission Guarantees (De Anza College Transfer Center)deanza.edu
- Housing Resources (De Anza College International Student Programs)deanza.edu
- VTA SmartPass (De Anza College)deanza.edu
- UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (UCLA Undergraduate Admission)admission.ucla.edu
- Transfer Profile by Community College (UCLA, Fall 2025)admission.ucla.edu
- Transfer basic requirements (UC Admissions)admission.universityofcalifornia.edu
Campus photo: FASTILY, 2018, 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.
