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The University of California Los Angeles or UCLA is a public institution that was founded in 1919, and the total undergraduate enrollment for the class of 2021 was just over 30,000. UCLA is situated in an urban setting on a campus that takes up over 419 acres in the vibrant city of Los Angeles. Students at UCLA take classes on a semester-based academic calendar, and tuition for in-state students is roughly a third of the cost that out-of-state students pay, making it a very attractive option for California residents. UCLA tends to offer large, lecture-style undergraduate classes and boasts a graduation rate that exceeds 90%.
Located in the heart of Los Angeles, California, UCLA is made up of six undergraduate schools, seven professional schools, and four health science programs including a nationally-ranked Arts and Architecture department, School of Medicine, and School of Public Health. UCLA is a public, nonprofit institution that was founded by Ernest Carroll Moore and Edward Dickson through the expansion of the existing Normal School. UCLA’s colors are “true blue” and gold, which represent the Pacific Ocean and gold wildflowers that are local to Southern California.
UCLA receives the most college applications of any university in the world and is also known as the only leading research institution that was founded in the 20th century. Beyond academics, UCLA athletic teams, known as the Bruins, compete in the PAC-12, with an annual football rivalry with USC. Notable alumni include MLB legend Jackie Robinson and actor James Franco.
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1405
* These statistics utilize the most recently released data from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System)
Sources for school statistics and data include U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Data may vary depending on school and academic year.
- Law (LAW) - Professional schools
- Predoctoral (UCLA School of Dentistry Predoctoral Internship)
- Post Doctoral - Advanced dental education programs (advanced education in general dentistry and general practice residency) (Advanced Education in General Dentistry 12 Months)
- Post Doctoral - Advanced dental education programs (advanced education in general dentistry and general practice residency) (General Practice Residency 12 Months)
- Endodontics
- Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (OMR)
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS)
- Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Periodontics
- Prosthodontics (including maxillofacial prosthetics and combined prosthodontics/maxillofacial prosthetics)
- Orofacial Pain
- Prosthodontics
- Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
- Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs (Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior Department of Psychiatry and Bio-behavioral Sciences)
- Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs (Student Psychological Services - John Wooden Center West)
- Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs (Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior)
- (SCPE) - Clinical pastoral education (CPE) centers offering CPE and supervisory CPE programs
- Health Services Administration (HSA) - Graduate programs in health services administration
- Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
- Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
- Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels
- Medicine (MED) - Programs leading to the M.D. degree
- Public Health (PHBG) - Baccalaureate and Graduate level school of public health
Source data obtained from U.S. Department of Education's Office of Post-secondary Education (OPE)
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Based on 12 ReviewsGiven its proximity to Tinseltown, it’s not surprising that the University of California-Los Angeles boasts alumni who have seen quite a lot of success in film and television, such as actors and actresses like Rob Reiner, Joyce DeWitt, Mariska Hargitay, Tom Skerritt, Ben Stiller, Mila Kunis, and Rachel Ames. Also, there have been a number of graduates who went on to make their mark in music, like Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek of The Doors, singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, and Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Although there are a wealth of UCLA graduates in the entertainment industry, many alumni have made their marks in other types of careers, such as astronaut Anna Lee Fisher, Nobel Prize winning chemist Robert Bruce Merrifield, AIDS researcher David Ho, and mathematician Richard A. Tapia.
UCLA is located on a 419-acre urban campus that is close to three of the area’s most famous neighborhoods: Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and Brentwood. Thanks to the location of the campus, students can immerse themselves in the culture of LA by viewing an exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, listening to music at the Greek Theatre, or watching an adaptation of a Broadway musical at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. But students don’t have to leave campus to enjoy a rich experience. If you want to express yourself artistically, you can participate in activities such as the Art History Undergraduate Student Association, the Bruin Film Society, the Poetry Garden, or the Photography Club. If you’re a budding entrepreneur, you can connect with likeminded students in the Association of Students in Economics and Commercial Sciences, the International Society of Professional Development, and the Law and Entrepreneurship Association. Even future dentists can find activities on campus through the American Association of Women Dentists and the Bruins Spread Smiles groups on campus.
UCLA offers hybrid degree programs that combine online instruction with face-to-face activities, such as on-campus meetings with professors. For example, the Fully Employed MBA Program is designed for busy professionals who don’t have the time to attend classes on campus on a regular basis. Through this program, students are only required to come to the campus four times per quarter during weekends. In addition to complete degree programs, students can enroll in online certificate programs through UCLA Extension, which offers credentials in areas such as education, building and construction, business, real estate, and information systems.
UCLA’s sports teams, the Bruins, participate in NCAA Division I competitions for football, basketball, cross country, water polo, softball, and golf. The school has won NCAA Championships for men’s water polo, women’s tennis, baseball, softball, women’s gymnastics, and men’s volleyball.
UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability is dedicated to preserving the world’s natural resources through its innovative environmental research that is conducted in eight research centers. For example, the Center for Clean Air investigates the factors that contribute to pollution on a local, regional, and global level; the Center for Tropical Research conducts studies on infectious diseases, coral reef conservation, migratory birds, and rainforest restoration; and the California Center for Sustainable Communities addresses issues related to creating sustainable systems in the Los Angeles area. In order to conduct its research, the Institute has created partnerships with companies such as Viacom, Paramount, Goldman Sachs, and the CBS Corporation.