Community College to UC Guide · Target UC Campuses
Community College to UC Santa Cruz:Admission and Majors
UC Santa Cruz admitted 67.5% of transfer applicants for Fall 2026, a relatively accessible bar. Computer science, economics, psychology, and biology are screening majors, and TAG is open to all majors with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Fall 2026 transfer admission rate
- 67.5%
- Fall 2026 transfer applicants / admits
- 13,546 / 9,141
- Admits from California Community Colleges
- 96.5%
- Minimum TAG GPA
- 3.0 (by the end of the Summer 2026 term)
- Majors open to TAG
- All majors
Transferring from a community college to UC Santa Cruz involves a relatively accessible overall bar, but popular majors first require completion of screening courses. For Fall 2026, UC Santa Cruz received 13,546 transfer applications and admitted 9,141 students, an admission rate of 67.5%. Of the admitted transfer students, 96.5% came from California Community Colleges. Calculated from the applicant and admit counts, this rate is lower only than those of UC Riverside and UC Merced among the nine undergraduate campuses. For most majors, UC Santa Cruz can serve as a safe choice. For screening majors such as computer science, economics, psychology, and biology, completing the prerequisite courses matters more.
Transfer Admission Data
This section explains how many transfer students UC Santa Cruz admits each year and what GPA information has been officially published.
| Item | Fall 2026 |
|---|---|
| Transfer applicants | 13,546 |
| Admits | 9,141 |
| Admission rate | 67.5% |
| Share of admits from California Community Colleges | 96.5% |
The University of California describes these figures as an admissions snapshot and cautions parents not to use them to predict an individual student’s chances of admission. The official UC page for Fall 2026 does not publish a GPA range for admitted transfer students, and the UC Santa Cruz admissions office does not publish one either.
The UC Santa Cruz admissions office states that the minimum transferable GPA is 2.40 for California residents and 2.80 for nonresidents, and that a higher GPA is more competitive. A maximum of 70 semester units (105 quarter units) of lower-division credit is counted, and AP, IB, and A-Level exam credit does not count toward this limit. The GPA calculation method is explained in How the Transfer GPA Is Calculated.
Selective Majors and Prerequisites
This section explains which UC Santa Cruz majors screen transfer applicants on prerequisite courses and what the specific requirements are for popular majors.
UC Santa Cruz calls majors with course and GPA requirements for transfer applicants screening majors. The admissions office verifies whether applicants have completed this major preparation. Popular majors such as Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Economics, Business Management Economics, Psychology, Biology, and Mathematics are all on the screening list. The table below is based on the transfer screening policies for each major in the UC Santa Cruz General Catalog for the 2026-27 academic year.
| Major | Courses to complete before transfer | Grade requirements and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science (B.S.) | Computer systems and assembly language, applied discrete mathematics, Python programming, two calculus courses; five courses in total | Three must be completed by the end of fall of the year before transfer; 3.0 cumulative GPA in screening courses |
| Economics (B.A.) | One calculus course, microeconomics, macroeconomics | 2.8 GPA across the three courses |
| Business Management Economics (B.A.) | One calculus course, microeconomics, macroeconomics | 2.8 GPA across the three courses; an accounting course is also recommended |
| Psychology (B.A.) | Introductory psychology, one statistics course, one mathematics course | B- or higher in introductory psychology and statistics, C or higher in mathematics |
| Biology (B.S.) | General chemistry series, first-term organic chemistry, cell and molecular biology, development and physiology, one calculus course | Must be completed by the end of the spring term before transfer |
AP credit can satisfy the course requirements of the Computer Science screening courses, but AP scores do not count toward the screening course GPA. Engineering majors such as Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Robotics Engineering are also screening majors; the General Catalog is the authoritative source for their requirements. The courses in the table describe UC Santa Cruz course content. The equivalent community college course numbers must be looked up in ASSIST, the official course articulation system for California public colleges and universities; instructions are available in How to Use ASSIST.
TAG
This section explains the requirements of the UC Santa Cruz transfer admission guarantee.
The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) is an admission guarantee that six UC campuses offer to California community college students. For the Fall 2027 entry cycle, TAG at UC Santa Cruz is open to all majors. The main conditions are as follows:
- A transferable GPA of 3.0 by the end of the Summer 2026 term.
- Screening majors also require completion of major preparation courses, and some majors have an additional prerequisite GPA requirement.
- TAG submitted through the UC Transfer Admission Planner (UC TAP) between September 1 and 30, 2026.
- At least 30 semester units completed at the time of submission, and 1 English composition course (UC-E) and 1 mathematics course (UC-M) completed by the end of Fall 2026.
- No more than 80 total transferable semester units, and no grade below C in any term of the current academic year.
UC Santa Cruz accepts TAG only for fall entry. UC Santa Cruz pre-reviews the courses in TAG submissions, and the official UC matrix recommends that students submit the UC application after receiving the TAG result. According to the matrix, when a screening major’s conditions are met, TAG also guarantees the major. About two-thirds of admitted UC transfer students did not have a TAG, and students without a TAG can still apply normally. The full TAG rules are explained in TAG: Transfer Admission Guarantee.
Application Timeline and Materials
This section lists the key dates and campus-specific arrangements for transferring to UC Santa Cruz for Fall 2027.
| Date | Task |
|---|---|
| September 1 to 30, 2026 | Submit TAG |
| October 1 to November 30, 2026 | Submit the UC transfer application |
| By January 31, 2027 | Submit the Transfer Academic Update (TAU) |
In some years UC Santa Cruz opens winter transfer admission. The application period for Winter quarter 2027 ran from July 1 to August 15, 2026, and has closed. Computer Science (B.A. and B.S.), Electrical Engineering, Robotics Engineering, and some other majors did not open for Winter 2027 transfer. UC Santa Cruz will announce in June 2027 whether it will accept applications for Winter 2028. Winter applicants must complete the 7-course pattern by the end of the fall term before enrollment; the specific requirements are explained in The 7-Course Pattern.
EDUBUS Advice
Community colleges that send the most transfer students to UC Santa Cruz
The table below uses 2024-25 academic year data from the University of California Information Center to list the schools in the EDUBUS community college library with the most students admitted to UC Santa Cruz. The number admitted reflects the size of each school’s transfer pipeline and does not indicate any individual student’s chance of admission.
| Community college | Applicants | Admitted | Admit rate | Average GPA of admitted students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 De Anza College | 854 | 640 | 74.9% | 3.59 |
 Santa Monica College | 527 | 365 | 69.3% | 3.48 |
 Diablo Valley College | 473 | 332 | 70.2% | 3.52 |
 Pasadena City College | 378 | 274 | 72.5% | 3.51 |
 Santa Barbara City College | 411 | 273 | 66.4% | 3.43 |
 City College of San Francisco | 240 | 183 | 76.3% | 3.56 |
 Foothill College | 263 | 181 | 68.8% | 3.43 |
 Irvine Valley College | 259 | 179 | 69.1% | 3.46 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How difficult is it to transfer from a community college to UC Santa Cruz?
For Fall 2026, UC Santa Cruz received 13,546 transfer applications and admitted 9,141 students, an admission rate of 67.5%. Its overall bar is on the lower end among the nine UC undergraduate campuses. Popular majors such as computer science, economics, psychology, and biology are screening majors, and applicants must complete the prerequisite courses each major requires.
What does UC Santa Cruz require of computer science transfer applicants?
The Computer Science B.S. requires five screening courses, including computer systems, discrete mathematics, Python programming, and two calculus courses. Three of these must be completed by the end of the fall term of the year before transfer. The cumulative GPA in the screening courses must remain at 3.0 or higher; AP credit can satisfy course requirements but does not count toward that GPA.
Which UC Santa Cruz majors are open to TAG?
For the Fall 2027 entry cycle, TAG is open to all UC Santa Cruz majors. Students must reach a transferable GPA of 3.0 by the end of the Summer 2026 term. Screening majors also require completion of major prerequisite courses and the corresponding GPA. UC Santa Cruz pre-reviews TAG submissions, and students are advised to submit the UC application after receiving the result.
What prerequisite courses does the UC Santa Cruz psychology major require?
The Psychology B.A. requires introductory psychology, one statistics course, and one mathematics course. Introductory psychology and statistics require a grade of B- or higher, and mathematics requires a grade of C or higher. These courses must be completed by the end of the spring term before transfer.
Sources and Verification Date10 official sources · Last checked September 26, 2026
- UC Santa Cruz Transfer Admit Data (UC Admissions, Fall 2026)admission.universityofcalifornia.edu
- Transfer Application Requirements (UCSC Admissions)admissions.ucsc.edu
- Screening Majors for Transfers (UCSC Admissions)admissions.ucsc.edu
- Computer Science B.S. (UCSC General Catalog 2026-27)catalog.ucsc.edu
- Economics B.A. (UCSC General Catalog 2026-27)catalog.ucsc.edu
- Business Management Economics B.A. (UCSC General Catalog 2026-27)catalog.ucsc.edu
- Psychology B.A. (UCSC General Catalog 2026-27)catalog.ucsc.edu
- Biology B.S. (UCSC General Catalog 2026-27)catalog.ucsc.edu
- UC TAG Matrix, Fall 2027 / Spring 2028 (June 9, 2026 version)admission.universityofcalifornia.edu
- Winter Transfer Information (UCSC Admissions)admissions.ucsc.edu
Admission rules, tuition, deadlines, and visa policies change every year. Before applying, confirm the current requirements published by each school and the relevant official agencies.
