Community College Library · Los Angeles County · Pasadena
Pasadena City College to UC: Honors Program and International Admission
Pasadena City College is in Pasadena, offers an Honors Program, and is a UCLA Transfer Alliance Program member. For international students applying from abroad, the spring 2027 deadline is November 30, 2026.
- Book a community college transfer consultation
- Semester calendar
- UCLA Transfer Alliance Program member
- Honors Program
- 1,212 admitted to UC in 2024-25 ↓
- International tuition per unit
- $481 (2026-27 academic year), plus $80 in student fees
- Spring 2027 deadline for applicants abroad
- November 30, 2026
- Fall 2027 deadline for applicants abroad
- July 15, 2027
- Estimated annual cost
- $35,876 (2026-27 academic year)
- English requirements (selected tests)
- TOEFL iBT 45, IELTS 5.0, Duolingo 80
- UCLA fall 2025 transfer profile
- 1,366 applicants, 30% admit rate, GPA 3.78 to 4.00
PCC to UC: ten years of transfer data
- UC applicants, 2024-25
- 1,554
- Admitted to UC
- 1,212
- Admit rate
- 78.0%
- Change in applicants since 2015-16
- +37%
- UC applicants
- Admitted
- Admit rate
- 2025-26 fall only
According to the UC Information Center, 1,554 Pasadena City College students applied to UC in 2024-25, and 1,212 were admitted to at least one campus, 78.0% of applicants; 909 enrolled at UC. The campuses that admitted the most students that year were UC San Diego (652), UC Santa Barbara (587), UC Irvine (583). Compared with 1,132 applicants in 2015-16, that is an increase of 37%. For 2025-26, only fall data are available so far: 1,660 applied and 1,313 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 | 1,554 | 1,212 | 78.0% | 909 | 3.62 | |
| UC San Diego | 937 | 652 | 69.6% | 177 | 3.71 | |
| UC Santa Barbara | 803 | 587 | 73.1% | 79 | 3.68 | |
| UC Irvine | 1,202 | 583 | 48.5% | 145 | 3.76 | |
| UC Riverside | 653 | 420 | 64.3% | 68 | 3.54 | |
| UCLA | 1,234 | 406 | 32.9% | 287 | 3.84 | |
| UC Davis | 479 | 314 | 65.6% | 24 | 3.69 | |
| UC Santa Cruz | 378 | 274 | 72.5% | 27 | 3.51 | |
| UC Berkeley | 818 | 210 | 25.7% | 99 | 3.80 | |
| UC Merced | 120 | 88 | 73.3% | 3 | 3.53 |
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.
Pasadena City College (PCC) is a community college on the semester system in the city of Pasadena, in Los Angeles County. After completing transfer coursework there, students can apply to transfer to the University of California (UC). PCC admits international students on F-1 visas, offers an Honors Program, and is a member of the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP). For students who aim for UCLA and want to study in the Pasadena area, transferring from PCC to UC is an option worth comparing. The data section below shows how PCC students have transferred to each UC campus.
Transfer support and honors programs
Honors Program: completion requirements
- Complete 15 honors units with grades of B or higher
- Take honors courses in three different departments
- Maintain an overall GPA of 3.2 and attend at least two fall or spring semesters
- Take no more than two honors courses per semester, and no more than 6 honors units in the final spring semester
- Attend an Honors Program information session and meet with an Honors Program counselor to complete certification
Thresholds come from the official websites of the college, UCLA, and UC Irvine. The actual average admit GPA is UC Information Center data for PCC 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)PCC is on UCLA's official list of member colleges. To apply for UCLA TAP or UC Irvine Honors to Honors, students must complete at least 9 honors units by the end of the fall term of the year they transfer and complete the remaining requirements by the end of the spring semester before transfer. Beginning in May 2026, students who attend a community college for only one year cannot receive TAP certification.
Transfer CenterExplains transfer requirements for UC, CSU, and private universities and provides course articulation, transfer agreements, and transfer counseling; introduces honors transfer programs, the Puente Project, the CSU Associate Degree for Transfer (AD-T), and the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG).
International student admission
2026-27 academic year, plus $80 in student fees.
International application periods
- Spring admissionDeadline November 30, 2026 (spring 2027)
- Fall admissionDeadline July 15, 2027 (fall 2027)
The deadlines for applicants abroad also apply to students changing status within the United States. Transfer students already in F-1 status have slightly later deadlines: January 15, 2027 for spring 2027 and July 25, 2027 for fall 2027. The spring 2027 semester begins February 17, and the fall semester begins August 23.
English proficiency (any one)
- 45TOEFL iBT
- 5.0IELTS
- 80Duolingo
Scores must be within two years. Students who do not meet the English requirement can first reach the required level at a partner language school recognized by PCC and receive conditional admission.
Estimated annual cost$35,876The college's estimated annual cost (fall and spring of the 2026-27 academic year): tuition and fees $11,624, housing and living expenses $22,752, and mandatory health insurance $1,500. Students bringing dependents add $7,000 for a spouse and $3,500 for each child.
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. Full-time students must enroll in 12 or more semester units each semester. The Honors Program allows no more than two honors courses per semester, so to complete 9 honors units before the fall of the transfer year, students usually need to begin honors courses in their first year.
Further reading: The 7-course pattern, Cal-GETC general education courses.
Housing and transportation
- ✕On-campus housing
- The PCC international student housing page states that students must arrange their own accommodation.
- ✓Homestay
- The housing page lists several homestay and shared-housing providers, including Universal Student Housing, Student International Housing, ISP Homestays, and IHPS Homestays, and notes that the college does not endorse these services. The page gives an average rent of $1,100 per month for a single room in Pasadena.
- Transportation
- Students who are enrolled in the current term and have paid the student activity fee can activate a GoPass for unlimited rides on Los Angeles Metro bus and rail lines and on the lines of 19 other transit agencies. The GoPass is not valid on Metrolink commuter rail and must be reactivated each semester.
Further reading: Housing and homestays.
EDUBUS advice
- When choosing a college
The PCC estimated annual cost is $35,876, with housing and living expenses as the largest share. Students should include this in their comparison when choosing a college.
- Before applying
International students should note that the spring 2027 deadline for applicants abroad is November 30, 2026.
- First year
The Honors Program allows no more than two honors courses per semester, while TAP requires 9 honors units before the fall of the transfer year. Students aiming for UCLA should join the Honors Program in their first year and take one or two honors courses each semester.
Frequently Asked Questions
How difficult is it to transfer from Pasadena City College to UCLA?
The UCLA fall 2025 transfer profile shows that 1,366 PCC students applied to UCLA, with an admit rate of 30%. The 25th to 75th percentile GPA of admitted students was 3.78 to 4.00. Students who complete the Honors Program and receive TAP certification receive priority consideration at UCLA, but admission is not guaranteed.
What is the tuition for international students at Pasadena City College?
PCC states that for the 2026-27 academic year, international students pay $481 per unit, made up of $409 in nonresident tuition, a $46 enrollment fee, and a $26 capital outlay fee, plus $80 in student fees. The college estimates the total annual cost at $35,876, including tuition, housing and living expenses, and health insurance.
When are the application deadlines for international students at Pasadena City College?
For applicants abroad, the deadline for spring 2027 admission is November 30, 2026, and the deadline for fall 2027 admission is July 15, 2027. Students already in the United States in F-1 status have slightly later deadlines: January 15 for spring and July 25 for fall.
What does the PCC Honors Program require for UCLA TAP?
Students must complete 15 honors units with grades of B or higher, across three different departments, and maintain an overall GPA of 3.2. To apply for UCLA TAP or UC Irvine Honors to Honors, students must complete at least 9 honors units by the end of the fall term of the year they transfer.
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 Admissions (Pasadena City College)pasadena.edu
- Tuition and Fees (Pasadena City College international students, 2026-27 academic year)pasadena.edu
- English Proficiency Requirements (Pasadena City College international students)pasadena.edu
- Program Completion (Pasadena City College Honors Program)pasadena.edu
- Transfer Programs (Pasadena City College Transfer Center)pasadena.edu
- Prepare for Housing (Pasadena City College international students)pasadena.edu
- GoPass at PCC (Pasadena City College Office of Student Life)pasadena.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: Prayitno, 2009, CC BY 2.0, 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.
