Community College to UC · Popular Majors
Community College to UC Computer Science:Prerequisites by Campus
Computer science shares one Transfer Pathway across nine UC campuses, with many math and programming prerequisites. Requirements differ by campus, and TAG is available only at UC Merced, UC Riverside, and UC Santa Cruz.
- UC Transfer Pathway
- Yes, applies to computer science majors at 9 campuses
- Pathway prerequisites
- 9 categories: programming, data structures, computer organization, calculus and other math courses, and one year of physics
- TAG for fall 2027
- Open for computer science only at UC Merced, UC Riverside, and UC Santa Cruz
- UC Riverside computer science TAG
- Transferable GPA of 3.6
- UCLA Samueli School of Engineering minimum transfer GPA
- 3.4
- UC Davis computer science
- GPA of 3.40 required in each of two prerequisite groups, programming and math; TAG not available
Transfer Admission Data for Computer Science at Each UC Campus (Fall 2025)
According to the University of California Information Center, admit rates for fall 2025 transfer applicants across the 13 campus majors in the table below range from 2.7% for UC Berkeley Computer Science to 51.2% for UC Santa Cruz Computer Science. Of these, 11 fall below the overall transfer admit rate of their campus.
Major names follow the official UC wording; "Pre-" in UCLA major names indicates admission in pre-major status. An admit rate reflects how competitive a major is and does not represent the chance of admission for any individual student.
Admit rate for this majorOverall transfer admit rate of the campus
| Campus | Major (Official UC Name) | Applicants | Admits | Admit Rate | Admit GPA (Middle 50%) | 2016 to 2025 Admit Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | Electrical Engineering - Computer Science | 1,171 | 133 | 11.4% | 3.95 to 4.00 | |
| Computer Science | 1,870 | 50 | 2.7% | 3.98 to 4.00 | ||
| UCLA | Computer Science | 1,655 | 80 | 4.8% | 4.00 to 4.00 | |
| Computer Science & Engineering | 369 | 33 | 8.9% | 3.94 to 4.00 | ||
| UC San Diego | Computer Science | 1,987 | 339 | 17.1% | 3.89 to 4.00 | |
| UC Irvine | Computer Science | 2,012 | 473 | 23.5% | 3.87 to 4.00 | |
| Computer Science & Engineering | 327 | 62 | 19.0% | 3.86 to 4.00 | ||
| UC Davis | Computer Science | 1,418 | 274 | 19.3% | 3.85 to 4.00 | |
| Computer Science & Engineering | 242 | 69 | 28.5% | 3.86 to 4.00 | ||
| UC Santa Barbara | Computer Science | 1,130 | 186 | 16.5% | 3.91 to 4.00 | |
| UC Santa Cruz | Computer Science | 1,204 | 617 | 51.2% | 3.50 to 3.91 | |
| UC Riverside | Computer Science | 1,285 | 480 | 37.4% | 3.73 to 4.00 | |
| UC Merced | Computer Science & Engineering | 445 | 223 | 50.1% | 3.33 to 3.81 |
Fall admission data. UC does not publish categories with fewer than 5 applicants or with fewer than 3 admits or enrollees; these appear as "—". GPA is the self-reported transfer GPA of applicants, and the range covers the middle 50 percent of admitted students. The trend charts use a fixed vertical axis from 0 to 100% for easier comparison; a line breaks in years when the major was renamed. The UC Information Center campus summary table does not yet list UCLA data for fall 2025, so the UCLA rows have no campus-wide admit rate marker. Campus names link to the corresponding transfer guide. Source: UC Infocenter · Transfers by major (visualizedata.ucop.edu, Transfersbymajor workbook, fall admission), retrieved September 27, 2026.
Computer science is a popular STEM major for community college students transferring to UC, and all 9 undergraduate campuses offer it. The campuses share one UC Transfer Pathway, but the list of prerequisites is long and covers math, programming, and physics. The challenges fall into three areas. First, each campus sets its own grade thresholds for the prerequisites. Second, many campuses require specific courses to be completed by the fall term of the application year or by the spring term before transfer. Third, TAG is open for computer science at only three campuses. Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) and computer engineering appear on this page only for comparison. The data section below shows transfer admission results for this major at each campus.
Common Prerequisites
This section explains which courses the UC Transfer Pathway for computer science requires. UC Transfer Pathways are standardized prerequisite lists that UC has compiled for popular majors. The UC website states that completing the courses on the list satisfies all transfer course requirements for the majors listed.
| Course type | Number of courses | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Programming | 1 course | Some campuses specify a programming language |
| Data Structures | 1 course | Follows Introduction to Programming |
| Computer Organization and Assembly Language | 1 course | Must cover both topics |
| Single Variable Calculus | One-year sequence | Version designed for STEM majors |
| Multivariable Calculus | 1 course | Pathway requirement |
| Discrete Mathematics | 1 course | Pathway requirement |
| Linear Algebra | 1 course | Pathway requirement |
| Differential Equations | 1 course | Pathway requirement |
| Calculus-based Physics | One-year sequence with labs | Must cover mechanics and electricity and magnetism |
The pathway applies to computer science degrees at 9 campuses; at UC Merced, the corresponding degree is the B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering. Computer engineering, robotics engineering, and computer game design at UC Santa Cruz are also covered. The UC website notes that completing a full sequence takes two to four semesters or quarters. The community college Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) in computer science overlaps substantially with the pathway; the differences are multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations. Course-by-course articulation should be verified in the system described in the ASSIST guide.
Requirements by Campus
This section compares computer science transfer thresholds across the 9 campuses. Most campuses require prerequisites to be completed by the end of the spring term before transfer.
| Campus | College | Grade threshold | Required prerequisites |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | College of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS), B.A. | Transferable GPA 3.0 | Major prerequisites as listed in ASSIST |
| UCLA | Samueli School of Engineering, highly selective | Transferable GPA 3.4 | Calculus, multivariable calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, calculus-based physics, and one programming course, with C++ recommended |
| UC Davis | College of Engineering, selective major | Campus minimum 2.80; 3.40 in each of two prerequisite groups | Programming, data structures, discrete mathematics, computer organization, three calculus courses, and linear algebra |
| UC Irvine | Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences | Transferable GPA 3.0; B or better in prerequisites | Two semesters of calculus, one year of Python, Java, or C++ programming, plus one designated course |
| UC San Diego | Screening major | C or better in each course | Three calculus courses, linear algebra, one science course, introduction to programming, data structures, and discrete mathematics |
| UC Santa Barbara | College of Engineering | Admissions office lists no major minimum | Two semesters of calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, C or C++ programming, data structures in C++, and discrete mathematics |
| UC Santa Cruz | Baskin School of Engineering, screening major | Screening course GPA 3.0 | Computer systems and assembly language, discrete mathematics, Python programming, and two calculus courses |
| UC Riverside | Bourns College of Engineering | Transferable GPA 2.8; 2.5 in the calculus series | Three calculus courses, Computer Science 10A and 10B, one physics course, and three additional courses from a designated list |
| UC Merced | School of Engineering | California residents 2.4, nonresidents 2.8 | Computer science requires 4 computer science courses and 3 math courses |
Several rules deserve particular attention. The UC Berkeley Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences states that transfer credit is not accepted for the discrete mathematics course CS 70. Beginning in fall 2027, UC Davis requires computer science applicants to complete linear algebra. UC Santa Cruz requires 3 of the 5 screening courses to be completed by the end of the fall term of the application year. UC Irvine does not accept C, C#, or Visual Basic as the programming prerequisite. At UC Berkeley, Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences is in the College of Engineering, where the minimum transferable GPA is 3.5.
Is TAG Available?
This section describes computer science at the six TAG campuses. The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) rules are covered in full in TAG: Transfer Admission Guarantee. UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego do not participate in TAG.
| Campus | TAG for computer science | Threshold and notes |
|---|---|---|
| UC Davis | No | Available for computer science and engineering; the College of Engineering requires 3.5 |
| UC Irvine | No | All majors in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences are excluded |
| UC Merced | Yes | School of Engineering 3.0 |
| UC Riverside | Yes | Computer science 3.6; computer science with business applications 3.3 |
| UC Santa Barbara | No | All College of Engineering majors are excluded |
| UC Santa Cruz | Yes | 3.0; screening majors have additional prerequisite GPA requirements |
Beginning with fall 2028 admission, UC Irvine will exclude an additional group of majors, including computer engineering. Students who enter community college in fall 2026 and transfer two years later will be affected.
Planning Two Years of Courses
This section gives a sample schedule for a community college on the semester system. The math sequence for computer science is the longest, so starting calculus in the first semester is recommended.
| Term | Major prerequisites (sample) | Other courses |
|---|---|---|
| First-year fall | Calculus I, Introduction to Programming | English Composition I |
| First-year spring | Calculus II, Data Structures | English Composition II, 1 general education course |
| Second-year fall | Multivariable Calculus, Discrete Mathematics, Calculus-based Physics I | 1 general education course |
| Second-year spring | Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Computer Organization, Calculus-based Physics II | Additional courses as needed |
At community colleges on the quarter system, calculus and physics are usually divided into more segments, so the same set of courses takes more terms. By the end of the second-year fall term, students should ideally have completed the courses that UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, and other campuses weigh most heavily. Cal-GETC is the general education pattern of the California Community Colleges; see the Cal-GETC general education guide. The UCLA Samueli School of Engineering states that it does not require Cal-GETC and does not accept partial completion. The UC Merced School of Engineering does not recommend completing Cal-GETC. UC Berkeley CDSS recommends balancing the 7-course pattern with Cal-GETC. Students should secure the major prerequisites first and then use the remaining units to complete the 7-course pattern.
EDUBUS advice: UC Davis does not count summer courses taken immediately before transfer, and UC Santa Cruz requires 3 screening courses to be completed by the fall of the application year. Students should start calculus and programming together in the first semester and complete most prerequisites by the end of the second-year fall term. UC Irvine, UCLA, and UC Santa Barbara have programming language requirements, so a C++ or Java programming sequence is the better choice. TAG is available at only three campuses, and the UC Riverside computer science threshold is 3.6. Students should treat TAG as one option while also preparing regular applications to UCLA, UC San Diego, and other campuses. Students leaning toward data analysis can compare this page with the data science major page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which courses does a community college student need to transfer to UC in computer science?
The UC Transfer Pathway lists 9 categories of courses: introduction to programming, data structures, computer organization and assembly language, one year of calculus, multivariable calculus, discrete mathematics, linear algebra, differential equations, and one year of calculus-based physics. Completing this set satisfies the transfer course requirements for the majors listed on the pathway. The matching community college courses must be verified one by one in ASSIST.
Is there a GPA threshold for transferring to UCLA computer science?
Yes. UCLA computer science is part of the Samueli School of Engineering, and the minimum GPA for transfer applicants is 3.4. UCLA requires calculus, multivariable calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, and calculus-based physics, and recommends C++ for the programming course. UCLA recommends completing all prerequisites by the end of the spring term before transfer.
Can a community college student use TAG to transfer to UC in computer science?
Only at three campuses. UC Merced applies the engineering school threshold of 3.0, UC Riverside computer science requires 3.6, and UC Santa Cruz requires 3.0 plus completion of the screening courses. Computer science at UC Davis, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Barbara is not open to TAG.
Can prerequisites be left for the summer before transfer?
This is not recommended. UC Davis states that summer courses taken immediately before transfer do not count toward admission requirements. UC Santa Cruz requires 3 of the 5 screening courses to be completed by the end of the fall term of the application year. Most campuses require prerequisites to be completed by the end of the spring term before transfer.
Sources and Verification Date13 official sources · last verified September 27, 2026
- Transfers by major, fall 2025 and earlier years (UC Infocenter, retrieved September 27, 2026)universityofcalifornia.edu
- UC Transfer Pathways: Computer Science (UC Admissions)admission.universityofcalifornia.edu
- UC TAG Matrix, Fall 2027 and Spring 2028 Cycle (June 9, 2026 version)admission.universityofcalifornia.edu
- Transfer admission information by college (UC Berkeley Office of Undergraduate Admissions)admissions.berkeley.edu
- Computer Science Junior Transfers (UC Berkeley EECS)eecs.berkeley.edu
- Major Preparation in the Samueli School of Engineering (UCLA Undergraduate Admission)admission.ucla.edu
- Major requirements for the College of Engineering (UC Davis Undergraduate Admissions)ucdavis.edu
- Transfer Requirements by School (UC Irvine Office of Undergraduate Admissions)admissions.uci.edu
- Transfer Major Preparation (UC San Diego Undergraduate Admissions)admissions.ucsd.edu
- Selective Majors for Transfer (UC Santa Barbara Undergraduate Admissions)admissions.sa.ucsb.edu
- Computer Science B.S. (UC Santa Cruz General Catalog)catalog.ucsc.edu
- Majors Preparation Guide (UC Riverside Undergraduate Admissions)admissions.ucr.edu
- Major Preparation Requirements and Transfer Selection (UC Merced Undergraduate Admissions)admissions.ucmerced.edu
Major requirements, TAG conditions, and admission data change every year. Before applying, confirm the figures published by UC and each campus for the current year.
