Community College Library · San Francisco Bay Area · Los Altos Hills
Foothill College to UC: Quarter Units and the Honors Institute
Foothill College is a quarter-system college in Los Altos Hills in Silicon Valley and a member of the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program. Its Honors Institute has no entry requirements, and TAP certification requires 23 honors units.
- Book a community college transfer consultation
- Quarter calendar
- UCLA Transfer Alliance Program member
- Honors Institute
- 430 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 60 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)
- UCLA TAP certification requirements
- 23 honors units and a 3.25 GPA in UC-transferable courses
- UCLA fall 2025 transfer profile
- 452 applicants, 28% admit rate, GPA 3.82 to 3.98
Foothill to UC: ten years of transfer data
- UC applicants, 2024-25
- 528
- Admitted to UC
- 430
- Admit rate
- 81.4%
- Change in applicants since 2015-16
- −38%
- UC applicants
- Admitted
- Admit rate
- 2025-26 fall only
According to the UC Information Center, 528 Foothill College students applied to UC in 2024-25, and 430 were admitted to at least one campus, 81.4% of applicants; 329 enrolled at UC. The campuses that admitted the most students that year were UC Davis (207), UC San Diego (193), UC Santa Barbara (188). Compared with 845 applicants in 2015-16, that is a decrease of 38%. For 2025-26, only fall data are available so far: 653 applied and 541 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 | 528 | 430 | 81.4% | 329 | 3.57 | |
| UC Davis | 305 | 207 | 67.9% | 50 | 3.67 | |
| UC San Diego | 316 | 193 | 61.1% | 56 | 3.67 | |
| UC Santa Barbara | 273 | 188 | 68.9% | 24 | 3.67 | |
| UC Santa Cruz | 263 | 181 | 68.8% | 40 | 3.43 | |
| UC Irvine | 308 | 117 | 38.0% | 11 | 3.77 | |
| UC Berkeley | 342 | 114 | 33.3% | 78 | 3.77 | |
| UCLA | 346 | 103 | 29.8% | 60 | 3.86 | |
| UC Riverside | 141 | 78 | 55.3% | 7 | 3.53 | |
| UC Merced | 77 | 50 | 64.9% | 3 | 3.36 |
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.
Foothill College is located in Los Altos Hills, in Santa Clara County in the San Francisco Bay Area, and belongs to the Foothill-De Anza Community College District together with De Anza College. Foothill College uses a quarter system, so both unit calculation and the pace of course registration differ from those at semester-system 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. Foothill College has an Honors Institute and is on the official member list of the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP). For students who study in Silicon Valley and aim for UCLA or other UC campuses, transferring from Foothill College to UC is a common path, but units must be converted 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 Institute: completion requirements
- To receive transfer partnership benefits, students must complete the Distinguished Honors Scholar certificate; honors courses are open to all students, with no separate application and no entry requirements
- Complete 23 honors units by the end of the spring before transfer, with at least 12 completed by the end of the fall before transfer
- Honors courses must come from at least two different departments, with a grade of C or better in each course
- An overall GPA of at least 3.25 in UC-transferable courses
- Complete service learning and meet with an academic counselor once each quarter
Thresholds come from the official websites of the college, UCLA, and UC Irvine. The actual average admit GPA is UC Information Center data for Foothill 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)Foothill is on the official UCLA list of member colleges, and every step of TAP certification must be completed by the end of December of the year in which the student applies to transfer. The Honors Institute is discussing raising the certificate GPA requirement to 3.4 starting in fall 2027. 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 helps students apply to UC, CSU, and other universities, and offers transfer counseling appointments, workshops, and visits from university admission representatives. The Transfer Center page notes that six UC campuses offer a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) to California Community Colleges students.
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.
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 international students in fall, winter, spring, and summer each year, and the application fee is $75.
English proficiency (any one)
- 60TOEFL iBTor 3.5 on the new score scale
- 5.5IELTS
- 95Duolingo
Scores must be no more than two years old. Students who do not meet the English requirement can first study at the college's partner language school and receive conditional admission.
I-20 proof of funds$27,189Annual budget, based on three quarters at 12 units per quarter, including $10,224 in tuition and fees and $1,665 in mandatory health insurance. The bank statement must show at least the annual budget amount and must be issued within the past 6 months.
- No scholarships are currently available to new F-1 students; students can apply for college scholarships starting in their second year.
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. International students must take at least 12 units in each of the fall, winter, and spring quarters, with no more than one online course within the first 12 units. The 23 honors units required by the Honors Institute are also quarter units and cannot be compared directly with the honors unit requirements at semester-system colleges; honors courses can replace regular courses of the same name, for example ENGL C1000H can fulfill the writing requirement, so students do not need to take extra courses.
Further reading: The 7-course pattern, Cal-GETC general education courses.
Housing and transportation
- ✓District student housing
- Owned by the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, this is shared apartment-style housing with 12-month leases.
- ✓Homestay
- Arranged by the agency ISP and can be booked before arrival in the U.S. The college recommends that students who have never lived abroad stay with a homestay family for their first 3 months.
- ✓Off-campus apartments
- The international student pages also list off-campus apartments. The college cautions that students who rely on public transit to commute should not rent in San Jose because of the distance.
- Transportation
- All students can use the VTA SmartPass for unlimited rides on VTA buses and light rail within Santa Clara County. Bus lines 40 and 52 currently serve the college directly.
Further reading: Housing and homestays.
EDUBUS advice
- First term
The certificate GPA requirement may rise to 3.4 starting in fall 2027, so students should plan to a standard of 3.4 or higher.
- First year
Students targeting UCLA should begin taking honors courses in their first year and use honors courses in place of general education courses of the same name.
- Before fall of the second year
TAP certification requires 23 quarter honors units, 12 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 Foothill College to UCLA?
According to the UCLA transfer profile for fall 2025, 452 students from Foothill College applied to UCLA, and the admit rate was 28%. The 25th to 75th percentile GPA of admitted students ranged from 3.82 to 3.98. Foothill College is a TAP member, and students who earn certification receive priority consideration, but this is not a guarantee of admission.
What is the tuition for international students at Foothill 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 college states that no scholarships are currently available to new F-1 students.
Do students need to apply to take honors courses at Foothill College?
No. Honors Institute courses are open to all students without a separate application, and students become Honors Institute participants once they enroll in an honors course. To receive the benefits of transfer partnerships such as UCLA TAP, students must complete the graduation requirements for the Distinguished Honors Scholar certificate.
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. The 23 honors units required at Foothill College are also quarter units and cannot be compared directly with the honors unit requirements at semester-system colleges.
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
- Applying to Foothill College as an International Student (Foothill College)foothill.edu
- How to Apply (Foothill College International Student Programs)foothill.edu
- Tuition & Fees (Foothill College International Student Programs)foothill.edu
- Honors Institute (Foothill College)foothill.edu
- UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (Foothill College Honors Institute)foothill.edu
- Transfer Center (Foothill College)fhweb.foothill.edu
- Admitted International Students (Foothill College, including housing and transportation)foothill.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: Jatkins679, 2010, Public domain, 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.
