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UC Santa Cruz Admissions 2025: Application Deadline, Requirements & Costs

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UC Santa Cruz Admissions
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International students can apply for the University of California Santa Cruz admissions via the Common App or the university portal, as per the program chosen, before the UC Santa Cruz application deadlines. The application deadlines for the upcoming intake for the UG program are Nov 30, 2025. The application deadlines for the PG program vary with the program. Hence, students must refer to the university program list for program-specific deadlines.

University of California - Santa Cruz Campus Admission Overview 2026

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University of California - Santa Cruz Campus Courses: Eligibility and Fees 2025

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University of California - Santa Cruz Campus Admission Process 2026

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Commonly asked questions
On Admissions
Q:   What are some useful tips for students starting their first semester at UC Santa Cruz?
A: 

Some of the tips for students starting their first-semester at the University ofCalifornia Santa Cruz are:

  • Students who applied for University of California Santa Cruz must be humble and should interact with as many people as possible. Mainly beacause, the more people you talk to the better knowledge you get. 
  • Attend as many gathering and parties as much as you can. 
  • Applicants should avoid missing classess, as 70% of learning comes from students going to classes. 
  • Students can get invovlved with extracuricular activities, i.e joing university clubs, sports etc. This will also look good on a portfolio in the longer run. 

University of California - Santa Cruz Campus MS Admissions 2026

2 courses 1 year - 15 months
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29.2L - 44.5L

iconEligibility Criteria

  • Accepting Exams: IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo

University of California - Santa Cruz Campus Application Process 2026

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Commonly asked questions
On Application Process
Q:   What are the requirements for the MS in Computer Interaction course at the University of California Santa Cruz Campus?
A: 

Below are the requirements for the MS in Computer Interaction course at the University of California Santa Course Campus:

  • LOR: Some programs ask for a LOR, and with particular exceptions, who should write those letters. 

  • Statement of purpose ( an SOP): An SOP is essential for the application process for UC Santa Cruz. It helps the applicant to convey their talents, Academic excellence accomplishments and personal background of applicants. 

  • Transcripts and degrees: the applicant must provide the university with transcripts of their academics with degree certificates. Similarly, applying for PhD or doctoral programme may require a master’s degree and transcripts from all graduate institutions of the applicant. 

  • English Language Proficiency exams: The following table explains the minimum score  of each English exam the university is excepting : 

  • English is the language of instruction for the majority of the programs at the University of California Santa Cruz.

Exam

Score

TOEFL

Minimum 80 or better

IELTS

Overall score of 6.5 or higher

TOEFL

Minimum score of 115

  • Applicants need not take any GRE exam for this course. 

  • Students should have  a background in design but no particular analytics or technology expertise (e.g., students graduating from design schools or professionals working as technology designers).

  • Students who have a background in social sciences, but minimal analytics or technical background.

  • Students who have a technical background in interactive system creation but no particular design or analytics expertise (e.g., students graduating from the current UCSC B.S. in Computer Science or Computer Engineering or professionals working as programmers or hardware engineers).

 

University of California Santa Cruz Enrollment Statistics

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Commonly asked questions
On Admission
Q:   How do I stand out as an international applicant at UC Santa Cruz?
A: 

The admissions at UC Santa Cruz are competitive and you also must talk about experiences and challenges that they've overcome, as that shows how the candidate takes on tasks during tough times. Coming to the essential part, students are suggested to have strong SOPs and LOR which can persuade the examiner to give them admission at the University of California Santa Cruz Campus. 

Q:   Is the GRE required for the University of California Santa Cruz?
A: 

The GRE is required for some of their graduate degree programs. The applicant must review the complete list of application requirements, including LORs, SOPs, academic transcripts and many more. However, the university does not ask for a general minimum GRE score from the applicants, but students are suggested to have a good score in order to be considered. Students applying for the following programs for 2024 admissions consideration are required to submit official GRE scores.No other programs accet or review GRE scores as part of the 2024 application:

Department

Program / Degree Objective (s)

Exam (s) Required

Applied Mathematics

MA

GRE General Test AND GRE Mathematics Subject Exam

Economics

PhD/MA

GRE General Test

Mathematics

MA, MA/PhD, PhD

GRE General Test AND GRE Mathematics Subject Exam

Technology Management

PhD

GRE General Test

Q:   What are some useful tips for students starting their first semester at UC Santa Cruz?
A: 

Some of the tips for students starting their first-semester at the University ofCalifornia Santa Cruz are:

  • Students who applied for University of California Santa Cruz must be humble and should interact with as many people as possible. Mainly beacause, the more people you talk to the better knowledge you get. 
  • Attend as many gathering and parties as much as you can. 
  • Applicants should avoid missing classess, as 70% of learning comes from students going to classes. 
  • Students can get invovlved with extracuricular activities, i.e joing university clubs, sports etc. This will also look good on a portfolio in the longer run. 

UC Santa Cruz
Students Ratings & Reviews

4/5
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Student Views (Based on Reviews)
  • 0% students never faced discrimination in this university
Vibe of Campus
Multi-dimensional
Friendly
Internships3
Part time work3
Post study jobs5
Quality of faculty4
Student Life5
Value for money4
Public transportation4
Safety4
Indian Food5
Permanent Immigration3
A
AnonymousVerified Icon
BS Computer Science - Batch of 2024
4
University of California provides with a lot of potential to explore.
Tips: I have enjoyed my overall experience at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I have gained a lot of learning, experience, and maturity while studying here. The faculty and student body are very involved, which makes for a great learning environment. The library is well-equipped, and there is a constant buzz on campus because of the variety of clubs and societies. You will be able to get practical experience through some hands-on projects, which will help you after graduation. Finally, joining study groups and societies is a great way to form a network and gain a sense of community.
Total Monthly ExpenseUSD 2450
Prepping time for classes32 hours/Week
Expected Annual SalaryUSD 84450
Reviewed on 29 Oct 2024Read more
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University of California - Santa Cruz Campus Admission FAQs

Q:   What GPA do you need to go to UC Santa Cruz?
A: 

International students are required to meet the GPA requirements to get admission to UC Santa Cruz. A GPA of 3.40 on a 4.0 scale is needed, but wait, the admission requirements do not end here, they also include other important factors like essays, LORs, extracurriculars and stuff. 

Q:   What is the world rank of University of California Santa Cruz?
A: 

UC Santa Cruz ranks as one of the best universities around the globe according to the top ranking bodies like THE and QS, which is  #332 in 2024 and #375 in 2023.

If compared with the previous year’s ranking by QS World University Ranking, it is observe that the rankings have been improving in the 2024 at 332 when compared to 2023 at 375.

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Akansha katariya

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Akansha katariya is a content creator at shiksha.com, creating content for study abroad. Having pursued B tech. in Electronics and communication from RGPV University, she has been creating content across diverse domains. When not guiding students, sh...Read Full Bio
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UC Santa Cruz
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UC SANTA CRUZ,
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