Community College Library · Los Angeles County · Glendale
Glendale Community College to UC: Honors Program and International Students
Glendale Community College offers the Scholars Program for honors students and is a UCLA Transfer Alliance Program member. International students who do not meet the English standard for full admission can take ESL bridge courses alongside credit courses.
- Book a community college transfer consultation
- Semester calendar
- UCLA Transfer Alliance Program member
- Scholars Program
- 461 admitted to UC in 2024-25 ↓
- International tuition per unit
- $452 ($406 plus a $46 enrollment fee; still used in the July 2026 financial support affidavit)
- Spring deadline for applicants abroad
- November 30
- Fall deadline for applicants abroad
- July 10
- Proof of funds
- $29,807 (financial support affidavit updated in July 2026)
- English requirement (full admission)
- TOEFL 5 on the new scale or iBT 100, IELTS 7.5, Duolingo 130
- UCLA Fall 2025 transfer profile
- 531 applicants, 31% admit rate, GPA 3.72 to 4.00
GCC to UC: ten years of transfer data
- UC applicants, 2024-25
- 602
- Admitted to UC
- 461
- Admit rate
- 76.6%
- Change in applicants since 2015-16
- +8%
- UC applicants
- Admitted
- Admit rate
- 2025-26 fall only
According to the UC Information Center, 602 Glendale Community College students applied to UC in 2024-25, and 461 were admitted to at least one campus, 76.6% of applicants; 321 enrolled at UC. The campuses that admitted the most students that year were UC Irvine (252), UC Santa Barbara (248), UC San Diego (247). Compared with 556 applicants in 2015-16, that is an increase of 8%. For 2025-26, only fall data are available so far: 613 applied and 462 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 | 602 | 461 | 76.6% | 321 | 3.63 | |
| UC Irvine | 480 | 252 | 52.5% | 54 | 3.71 | |
| UC Santa Barbara | 366 | 248 | 67.8% | 33 | 3.69 | |
| UC San Diego | 387 | 247 | 63.8% | 48 | 3.67 | |
| UCLA | 541 | 171 | 31.6% | 139 | 3.84 | |
| UC Riverside | 193 | 121 | 62.7% | 14 | 3.51 | |
| UC Davis | 129 | 84 | 65.1% | 9 | 3.60 | |
| UC Berkeley | 297 | 78 | 26.3% | 19 | 3.80 | |
| UC Santa Cruz | 99 | 67 | 67.7% | 5 | 3.45 | |
| UC Merced | 32 | 24 | 75.0% | — | 3.32 |
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.
Glendale Community College (GCC) is a semester-system community college in the city of Glendale in Los Angeles County. After completing transfer coursework here, students can apply to transfer to the University of California (UC). GCC admits international students on F-1 visas, offers an honors program called the Scholars Program, and is a member of the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP). GCC has two tiers of English requirements, and students who do not meet the full admission standard can take ESL bridge courses alongside credit courses. For international students who are still improving their English and are targeting UCLA, Glendale Community College is an option worth comparing for transfer to UC. The data section below shows how GCC students transfer to each UC campus.
Transfer support and honors programs
Scholars Program: completion requirements
- Work with a Scholars counselor to plan and complete 15 units of honors general education and major prerequisite courses
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 to remain in good standing in the program
- Take part in the work of one committee each week, such as community service, outreach, or arts and culture
- Attend monthly general meetings and designated program activities each semester
- Meet with a Scholars counselor once each semester
Thresholds come from the official websites of the college, UCLA, and UC Irvine. The actual average admit GPA is UC Information Center data for GCC 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)GCC appears on UCLA's official list of member colleges. The college states that students who complete the Scholars Program receive enhanced consideration when applying to the UCLA College of Letters and Science, but this is not an admission guarantee. GCC is also a member of the Honors Transfer Council of California. Beginning in May 2026, students who attend a community college for only one year cannot receive TAP certification.
Transfer CenterProvides transfer counseling, workshops, and application deadline reminders, and helps students apply to CSU, UC, and private universities; students can book in-person or Zoom appointments or use 10- to 15-minute quick counseling sessions during set hours, and the center organizes visits to universities such as California State University, Northridge, UC Irvine, and UCLA.
International student admission
Per the 2025-26 catalog, with small additional per-semester fees. The GCC fee page does not specify the academic year, and the college's financial support affidavit updated in July 2026 still uses this per-unit rate. The application fee is $60 and is nonrefundable.
International application periods
- Fall admissionFebruary 1 to July 10
- Spring admissionAugust 1 to November 30
For transfer applicants already in the United States, the deadline is August 1 for fall and January 15 for spring. Once all documents are complete, processing is usually finished within 10 business days.
English proficiency (any one)
- 100TOEFL iBTor 5 on the new scale
- 7.5IELTS
- 130Duolingo
These are the standards for full admission. Students with TOEFL iBT 45 (or 3 on the new scale), IELTS 4.5, or Duolingo 75 can enter the credit ESL bridge program and take English bridge courses alongside credit courses. Both tiers are quoted from the college's application page, and TOEFL uses January 21, 2026 as the dividing date between the old and new versions.
I-20 proof of funds$29,807From the financial support affidavit updated in July 2026, based on 12 units per semester for two semesters: tuition and fees $10,989, living expenses $16,440, health insurance $1,428, and books $950. Add $7,000 for a spouse and $3,500 for each child; bank statements must be issued within the past 6 months.
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. Fall and spring are the main semesters, and summer and winter offer short-term courses; F-1 students must take at least 12 units each semester. Students admitted through the ESL bridge program take English bridge courses and credit courses together in their first few semesters, so they should confirm their starting point in English composition early and fit the two English composition courses required by UC into their two-year plan.
Further reading: The 7-course pattern, Cal-GETC general education courses.
Housing and transportation
- ✕On-campus housing
- GCC states that the college does not provide on-campus housing.
- ✓Homestay
- The primary housing partner, International Student Placements, arranges homestays and independent housing, and students can also rent apartments or private housing on their own. New students usually need $3,000 to $4,000 in start-up costs for their first week after arrival, and a deposit is generally equal to 2 to 3 months of rent.
- Transportation
- Students enrolled in at least one course in the current term can obtain a GCC GoPass. In the 2026-27 academic year, it provides free rides on all Los Angeles Metro bus and rail lines, Glendale Beeline buses, and 12 other local transit systems.
Further reading: Housing and homestays.
EDUBUS advice
- Before applying
The English standard for full admission at GCC is TOEFL iBT 100 or IELTS 7.5, well above the threshold for the ESL bridge program. Students whose English scores fall between the two tiers enter through the ESL bridge program and should include English bridge courses in their two-year transfer plan.
- First semester
Students targeting UCLA should set course difficulty according to the GPA range of students admitted to UCLA.
- First year
Students should join the Scholars Program in the first year, balancing program units, a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and weekly program activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How difficult is it to transfer from Glendale Community College to UCLA?
According to UCLA's Fall 2025 transfer profile, 531 GCC students applied to UCLA, and the admit rate was 31%. The 25th to 75th percentile GPA of admitted students was 3.72 to 4.00. Students who complete the Scholars Program can receive priority consideration from UCLA through TAP, but this is not an admission guarantee.
What is the tuition for international students at Glendale Community College?
The 2025-26 catalog lists nonresident tuition at $406 per unit plus a $46 enrollment fee, for a total of $452 per unit, along with small per-semester fees. The college's financial support affidavit, updated in July 2026, still uses this per-unit rate, and the total proof of funds is $29,807, covering tuition and fees, living expenses, health insurance, and books.
Can students without sufficient English scores apply to Glendale Community College?
Yes. GCC has two tiers of English standards. Students with TOEFL iBT 45, IELTS 4.5, or Duolingo 75 can enter the credit ESL bridge program and take English bridge courses alongside credit courses. Direct full admission requires TOEFL iBT 100 (5 on the new scale), IELTS 7.5, or Duolingo 130. These standards are published on the college's application page.
What are the requirements of the GCC Scholars Program?
The Scholars Program is the GCC honors program. It requires 15 honors units and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. Students must also take part in weekly committee work, monthly general meetings, and program activities each semester, and meet with a Scholars counselor each semester.
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
- International Students Apply to GCC (Glendale Community College)glendale.edu
- Enrollment Fees (Glendale Community College)glendale.edu
- Affidavit of Financial Support (Glendale Community College International Student Services)glendale.edu
- Scholars Program (Glendale Community College)glendale.edu
- Transfer Center (Glendale Community College)glendale.edu
- Admitted International Students (Glendale Community College)glendale.edu
- GCC GoPass (Glendale Community College, 2026-27 academic year)glendale.edu
- UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (UCLA Undergraduate Admission)admission.ucla.edu
- Transfer Profile by Community College (UCLA, Fall 2025)admission.ucla.edu
- 2025-2026 Catalog (Glendale Community College, PDF)glendale.edu
Campus photo: Dreamyshade, 2010, 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.
