Political Science

Tuition Information

2026-27 costs for new undergraduates entering in fall 2026 (three quarters, about nine months): UCLA lists university fees of US$16,430 for every student (UC systemwide tuition and student services fee of US$15,588 plus US$842 in campus fees) and a UC Student Health Insurance Plan charge of US$3,885, which can be waived if you already have adequate cover. Non-California residents, including international students, also pay US$39,270 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition, so tuition and mandatory fees come to about US$55,700 a year before insurance (UC bills US$4,734 tuition, a US$462 student services fee and US$13,090 nonresident supplemental tuition each quarter, plus campus fees). UCLA Financial Aid and Scholarships puts the 2026-27 estimated nonresident cost of attendance at US$84,770 living in UCLA residence halls (adding housing of US$12,299, food of US$7,568, books and supplies of US$1,588, transportation of US$969 and personal costs of US$2,761), US$87,056 in off-campus apartments or US$75,977 for commuters. Under UC's Tuition Stability Plan, an entering class's tuition, student services fee and nonresident supplemental tuition stay flat for up to six years. UCLA gives no scholarships or financial aid to undergraduates who are not US citizens or permanent residents; students admitted for fall 2026 had to show at least about US$80,739 for the first year (plus a recommended US$5,000 extra), and UCLA says this amount usually rises each year. Rates for the class entering in fall 2027 have not been published yet

Admission Requirements

• School and admission route: College of Letters and Science, Department of Political Science. For first-year applicants to the College, the major you choose neither helps nor hurts your chances (it is not considered in review, and many students apply as undeclared). Everyone enrols as a Political Science pre-major and petitions to enter the major after finishing the five preparation courses, which must be completed with a 2.0 GPA before reaching 135 units
• Testing: test-blind. UCLA does not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarships, and the UC application does not ask for them
• English proficiency (needed if you had less than 3 years of secondary schooling taught in English): UC's minimums are TOEFL iBT 4.5 on the scale used from January 2026 (80 for tests taken earlier), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo English Test 115 (AP English 3-5, IB English A 5-7 at higher level or 6-7 at standard level, and some other exams also count). UCLA says competitive applicants have TOEFL iBT 5 or higher with every section at 5 or higher (above 100 with sections above 24 on the old 0-120 scale), IELTS 7.5 or higher, or Duolingo 135 or higher. Tests must be taken by December of your final school year and self-reported on the UC application no later than January; admitted students whose native language is not English may have to take UCLA's English as a Second Language Placement Examination
• Academic requirements: a secondary school completion certificate that admits you to university in your own country, plus UC's 15 year-long college-preparatory courses (2 years of history, 4 of composition and literature in your language of instruction, 3 of mathematics, 2 of laboratory science, 2 of a second language, 1 of visual and performing arts and 1 more from these areas) with at least a 3.4 GPA for international and other non-California applicants. Admission is highly selective and based on comprehensive review of 13 faculty-approved criteria, including the rigour of your school programme, special talents or achievements and your answers to the Personal Insight Questions; UCLA reports a 4.0 average unweighted GPA for fall 2025 admitted first-years. External exam results such as GCSE/IGCSE, A-levels or national board exams are reported in the application's International Exams section