Community College Library · Orange County · Costa Mesa
Orange Coast College to UC: Honors Program and On-Campus Housing
Orange Coast College is in Costa Mesa, offers an Honors Program, is a UCLA Transfer Alliance Program member, and has on-campus student apartments. International applicants who have not met the English requirement may receive conditional admission.
- Book a community college transfer consultation
- Semester calendar
- UCLA Transfer Alliance Program member
- Honors Program
- 669 admitted to UC in 2024-25 ↓
- International tuition per unit
- $502 (starting summer 2026)
- Deadline for applying from abroad, winter/spring 2027
- December 4, 2026
- Annual cost (proof of funds)
- $29,459
- English requirement (selected tests)
- TOEFL 3.5 on the new score scale or iBT 61, IELTS 5.5, Duolingo 95
- GPA for TAP certification
- Transferable course GPA of at least 3.50
- UCLA Fall 2025 transfer profile
- 592 applicants, 22% admit rate, GPA 3.81 to 4.00
OCC to UC: ten years of transfer data
- UC applicants, 2024-25
- 930
- Admitted to UC
- 669
- Admit rate
- 71.9%
- Change in applicants since 2015-16
- +13%
- UC applicants
- Admitted
- Admit rate
- 2025-26 fall only
According to the UC Information Center, 930 Orange Coast College students applied to UC in 2024-25, and 669 were admitted to at least one campus, 71.9% of applicants; 479 enrolled at UC. The campuses that admitted the most students that year were UC Irvine (373), UC San Diego (322), UC Santa Barbara (237). Compared with 820 applicants in 2015-16, that is an increase of 13%. For 2025-26, only fall data are available so far: 917 applied and 659 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 | 930 | 669 | 71.9% | 479 | 3.61 | |
| UC Irvine | 741 | 373 | 50.3% | 169 | 3.72 | |
| UC San Diego | 539 | 322 | 59.7% | 90 | 3.67 | |
| UC Santa Barbara | 369 | 237 | 64.2% | 38 | 3.62 | |
| UC Riverside | 281 | 168 | 59.8% | 15 | 3.52 | |
| UCLA | 615 | 143 | 23.3% | 80 | 3.85 | |
| UC Davis | 211 | 123 | 58.3% | 15 | 3.62 | |
| UC Berkeley | 406 | 116 | 28.6% | 57 | 3.77 | |
| UC Santa Cruz | 171 | 116 | 67.8% | 15 | 3.50 | |
| UC Merced | 49 | 30 | 61.2% | — | 3.38 |
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.
Orange Coast College (OCC) is a community college in Costa Mesa, Orange County, that operates on a semester calendar. Students who complete transfer coursework here can apply to transfer to the University of California (UC). OCC enrolls international students on F-1 visas, offers an Honors Program, and is a member of the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP). Unlike most community colleges, OCC has on-campus student apartments. For students who want to live on campus and are aiming for UCLA or UC Irvine, OCC is a transfer option worth comparing. The data section below shows how OCC students have transferred to each UC campus.
Transfer support and honors programs
Honors Program: completion requirements
- Complete at least 15 honors units with letter grades, across at least three different disciplines
- Complete at least 12 of those units before the final spring semester
- Reach a GPA of 3.50 in all transferable coursework before the final spring semester
- Join the Honors Program by August 31 of the year of the planned application to UCLA or UC Irvine
- Complete at least 36 UC-transferable units at OCC by the end of the final semester
- Up to 7 honors units from other California community colleges may be counted
Thresholds come from the official websites of the college, UCLA, and UC Irvine. The actual average admit GPA is UC Information Center data for OCC 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)OCC is on UCLA's official list of member colleges. The Honors Program lists these certification deadlines: February 10 for UC Irvine Honors to Honors and February 25 for UCLA TAP. Starting in May 2026, students who attend a community college for only one year cannot receive TAP certification.
Transfer CenterProvides transfer counseling and help with UC and CSU applications, and hosts workshops and college fairs; introduces the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG), UCLA TAP, and the UC Irvine transfer honors program.
International student admission
Effective starting summer 2026. The application fee is $55 and is nonrefundable.
International application periods
- Fall admissionDeadline: July 10, 2026
- Winter/spring admissionDeadline: December 4, 2026 (winter/spring 2027)
These are the initial application deadlines for students applying for an I-20 from abroad. For transfer applicants already in the United States in F-1 status, the deadline is August 14, 2026 for fall 2026 and January 22, 2027 for winter/spring 2027.
English proficiency (any one)
- 61TOEFL iBTor 3.5 on the new score scale
- 5.5IELTS
- 95Duolingo
Applicants who have not met the English requirement may receive conditional admission and first study in IEC at OCC, the intensive English program at OCC; completing the Advanced B level satisfies the English requirement.
I-20 proof of funds$29,459The annual cost listed by the college, which is the minimum amount of funds that must be shown when applying for an F-1 visa.
- Students may enter the United States no earlier than 30 days before the I-20 reporting date.
- OCC does not offer scholarships or financial aid to newly admitted international students.
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. F-1 students must take at least 12 units in each fall and spring semester and at least 6 units in summer. Students must join the Honors Program by August 31 of the application year and complete 12 honors units with a verified GPA of 3.50 before the final spring semester, so the schedule for the first three semesters needs to be planned in advance.
Further reading: The 7-course pattern, Cal-GETC general education courses.
Housing and transportation
- ✓On-campus housing
- The on-campus student apartment complex, The Harbour at Coast, offers more than 800 beds, all in furnished apartment-style units. Students planning to move in for the fall are advised to apply after the fall application opens and before April; students moving in at other times must contact The Harbour directly about availability.
- ✓Homestay
- The college lists several homestay providers, including Student International Housing, WISE, Universal Student Housing, and HomestayMatch.
- Transportation
- All enrolled full-time, part-time, and noncredit students can ride OCTA local fixed-route buses for free. Starting in spring 2026, students use the Wave electronic fare system.
Further reading: Housing and homestays.
EDUBUS advice
- Before applying
Students who have not yet met the English requirement should build the time spent in IEC at OCC into their two-year transfer plan.
- Before enrollment
International students who have just arrived in the United States may give priority to applying for The Harbour, which reduces the pressure of finding housing soon after arrival.
- First semester
TAP certification requires a transferable course GPA of 3.50, while the 25th percentile GPA of admitted students in the UCLA profile is 3.81. Students targeting UCLA should aim for a GPA well above 3.50.
- Before the second fall
Join the Honors Program by August 31 of the year the transfer application is submitted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it difficult to transfer from Orange Coast College to UCLA?
UCLA's Fall 2025 transfer profile shows that 592 OCC students applied to UCLA, with an admit rate of 22%. The 25th to 75th percentile GPA of admitted students was 3.81 to 4.00. Students who complete the Honors Program and earn TAP certification receive priority consideration at UCLA, but this is not an admission guarantee.
What is the tuition for international students at Orange Coast College?
OCC states that, starting in summer 2026, tuition for international students is $502 per unit. The college lists first-year costs of $29,459, which is also the minimum amount of funds that must be shown when applying for an F-1 visa. OCC does not offer scholarships or financial aid to newly admitted international students.
Does Orange Coast College have student housing?
Yes. The on-campus student apartment complex at OCC, The Harbour, offers more than 800 beds, all in furnished apartment-style units. OCC recommends that students planning to move in for the fall submit an application before April. The college also lists several homestay providers.
What does the OCC Honors Program require for UCLA TAP?
Students must complete 15 honors units across at least three disciplines. Before the final spring semester, the transferable course GPA must reach 3.50. Students must also join the Honors Program by August 31 of the year they plan to apply to UCLA or UC Irvine, and the TAP certification deadline is February 25.
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
- Full-Time F1 Students (Orange Coast College Global Engagement Center)orangecoastcollege.edu
- Cost of Attendance (Orange Coast College Global Engagement Center)orangecoastcollege.edu
- English Proficiency Demonstration (Orange Coast College)orangecoastcollege.edu
- Housing and Homestay (Orange Coast College Global Engagement Center)orangecoastcollege.edu
- Honors Transfer Certification (Orange Coast College Honors Program)orangecoastcollege.edu
- Transfer Programs (Orange Coast College Transfer Center)orangecoastcollege.edu
- Meet Wave: OCTA Updates Free Bus Service System (Orange Coast College, 2026)orangecoastcollege.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: Orange Coast College, 2019, CC BY 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.
