Community College Library · San Diego County · Oceanside
MiraCosta College to UC: Honors Program and International Admission
MiraCosta College is a semester-system college in northern San Diego County and a member of the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program. Its Honors Program has no entry GPA and its English requirement for international students is relatively low, but the college has no student housing.
- Book a community college transfer consultation
- Semester calendar
- UCLA Transfer Alliance Program member
- Honors Program
- 389 admitted to UC in 2024-25 ↓
- Nonresident tuition per unit
- $423 (starting fall 2026: nonresident tuition of $377 plus an enrollment fee of $46)
- F-1 priority application deadlines
- Fall: July 1; spring: November 15
- English requirements (selected tests)
- TOEFL iBT 46, IELTS 5.0, Duolingo 75
- I-20 proof of funds
- $28,500 (2025-26 amount, for reference)
- UCLA TAP certification GPA
- 3.5, plus 15 honors units
- UCLA fall 2025 transfer profile
- 300 applicants, 26% admit rate, GPA 3.89 to 4.00
MCC to UC: ten years of transfer data
- UC applicants, 2024-25
- 498
- Admitted to UC
- 389
- Admit rate
- 78.1%
- Change in applicants since 2015-16
- +16%
- UC applicants
- Admitted
- Admit rate
- 2025-26 fall only
According to the UC Information Center, 498 MiraCosta College students applied to UC in 2024-25, and 389 were admitted to at least one campus, 78.1% of applicants; 279 enrolled at UC. The campuses that admitted the most students that year were UC San Diego (241), UC Santa Barbara (179), UC Irvine (145). Compared with 431 applicants in 2015-16, that is an increase of 16%. For 2025-26, only fall data are available so far: 485 applied and 392 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 | 498 | 389 | 78.1% | 279 | 3.67 | |
| UC San Diego | 374 | 241 | 64.4% | 115 | 3.75 | |
| UC Santa Barbara | 243 | 179 | 73.7% | 28 | 3.74 | |
| UC Irvine | 288 | 145 | 50.3% | 23 | 3.80 | |
| UC Santa Cruz | 161 | 120 | 74.5% | 21 | 3.59 | |
| UC Davis | 145 | 92 | 63.4% | 14 | 3.66 | |
| UCLA | 268 | 82 | 30.6% | 35 | 3.91 | |
| UC Berkeley | 197 | 74 | 37.6% | 36 | 3.81 | |
| UC Riverside | 107 | 59 | 55.1% | 6 | 3.48 | |
| UC Merced | 27 | 22 | 81.5% | — | 3.43 |
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.
MiraCosta College (MCC) is a semester-system community college in Oceanside, in northern San Diego County. The college has two campuses, Oceanside and San Elijo, with the main campus in Oceanside. After completing transfer coursework here, students can apply to transfer to the University of California (UC). MiraCosta College 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 are aiming for UC San Diego, UCLA, or UC Irvine and who would like to study in northern San Diego County, transferring from MiraCosta College to UC is a path worth considering. 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
- The program has no entry GPA, and there is no additional fee to join or to take honors courses; students may also take honors courses or sign an honors contract with an instructor without joining the program
- Certified Honors Scholar: GPA 3.25, 15 honors units, and two semesters of participation in the program
- UCLA TAP certification: GPA 3.5, 15 honors units, and a TAP education plan on file with the Transfer Center
- UC Irvine Honors to Honors: GPA 3.7, 15 honors units, and honors courses in two semesters
- UC Riverside Honors to Honors: GPA 3.25, 15 honors units, and honors courses in two semesters
Thresholds come from the official websites of the college, UCLA, and UC Irvine. The actual average admit GPA is UC Information Center data for MCC 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)MiraCosta College is on the official UCLA list of member colleges. UCLA requires that students entering in fall 2027 have completed two full years of college by the end of spring 2027; students who have attended for only one year cannot receive TAP certification.
Transfer CenterServices are available at both the Oceanside and San Elijo campuses. Students can make an appointment with a transfer counselor to build a semester-by-semester education plan or attend a 20-minute Transfer Express advising session.
International student admission
Starting fall 2026. The proof-of-funds amount is still estimated at the 2025-26 rate of $369 per unit plus the $46 enrollment fee.
International application periods
- Fall admissionJuly 1 priority deadline
- Spring admissionNovember 15 priority deadline
Only fall and spring admission are offered; summer applications are not currently accepted. The college decides case by case whether to accept applications submitted after the deadline.
English proficiency (any one)
- 46TOEFL iBT
- 5.0IELTS
- 75Duolingo
Scores must be no more than two years old. The college suggests that students without English test scores first consider its English Language Institute.
I-20 proof of funds$28,500Annual budget and proof-of-funds amount for 2025-26, for reference. Bank statements must be in English and issued within 5 months before submission.
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. At 15 units per semester, students can reach 60 units in four semesters over two years. Honors courses meet Cal-GETC requirements and are offered every semester at both campuses and online, so students can use honors courses to complete general education requirements and earn honors units at the same time.
Further reading: The 7-course pattern, Cal-GETC general education courses.
Housing and transportation
- ✕On-campus housing
- The international student housing page states that the college does not provide dormitories or college-approved housing.
- ✓Homestay
- The college recommends that new students consider a homestay first and lists agencies students can look into, but notes that these agencies have no partnership with the college. The college warns students about rental scams and advises paying only after arriving, viewing the housing, and meeting the people they will live with.
- Transportation
- The Student Accounts Office sells the PRONTO Pass, a monthly student pass valid on NCTD buses and the SPRINTER commuter rail, as well as San Diego MTS buses and trolley. The current price is $57.60 per month, rising to $68 per month starting in October 2026.
Further reading: Housing and homestays.
EDUBUS advice
- Before applying
For proof of funds, students can prepare based on the 2025-26 figure of $28,500 as a reference.
- After receiving the I-20
The English requirement for international students is relatively low, but the college has no student housing, so students should arrange a homestay as early as possible after receiving the I-20.
- First semester
The Honors Program is easy to enter, but UCLA TAP certification requires a 3.5 GPA, higher than the 3.25 required for standard honors certification. Students targeting UCLA should plan courses for a GPA of 3.5 or higher from the first semester and set up a TAP education plan with the Transfer Center early.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it difficult to transfer from MiraCosta College to UCLA?
According to the UCLA transfer profile for fall 2025, 300 students from MiraCosta College applied to UCLA, and the admit rate was 26%. The 25th to 75th percentile GPA of admitted students ranged from 3.89 to 4.00. Students who complete the Honors Program and earn TAP certification receive priority consideration, but this is not a guarantee of admission.
What is the tuition for international students at MiraCosta College?
According to the college's tuition page, starting in fall 2026 nonresident tuition is $377 per unit plus an enrollment fee of $46, for a total of $423 per unit. For proof of funds, students can refer to the current figure of $28,500 on the international student application page, which is estimated at the 2025-26 rate of $369 per unit.
What are the requirements for the MiraCosta College Honors Program?
The Honors Program has no entry GPA requirement; any student may join, and there is no additional fee. Certified Honors Scholar status requires a 3.25 GPA and 15 honors units. For UCLA TAP certification, the GPA must reach 3.5, and the student must have an education plan targeting TAP on file with the Transfer Center.
Does MiraCosta College have student housing?
No. The international student housing page states that the college does not provide dormitories or college-approved housing. The page recommends that new students consider a homestay and reminds students to pay only after arriving and viewing the housing in person.
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: How to Apply & Register (MiraCosta College)miracosta.edu
- Estimated Cost of Attendance for F-1 Students (MiraCosta College, 2025-26)miracosta.edu
- Tuition & Fees (MiraCosta College Student Accounts Office)miracosta.edu
- Honors Program (MiraCosta College Catalog)catalog.miracosta.edu
- Transfer Center (MiraCosta College)miracosta.edu
- Housing Information for International Students (MiraCosta College)miracosta.edu
- PRONTO Pass (MiraCosta College Student Accounts Office)miracosta.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: MiraCosta Press Room, 2016, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
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.
