University of California, Los Angeles - Overview & Background

Started in 1919, University of California – Los Angeles or UCLA is a public research university. The University was ranked 31st in the world by QS World University Rankings in 2016-2017.

Its programs in English language and literature, linguistics, Geography, Modern Languages, Biological Sciences, Electrical and electronic engineering, Psychology, Medicine, Chemistry, Communication and media studies, Mathematics, Education and training, Archaeology, Anthropology, Life sciences, Arts and Humanities, and medicine consistently rank among the top ten in the world. A very noteworthy fact is that the University has had at least one Olympic Gold medal every Olympics since 1920

Its engineering school, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, offers undergraduate, Masters and Ph.D. programs in 10 areas. UCLA also offers an Engineering Online Program for working professionals. 

Former Names

Southern Branch of the California State Normal School (1881–1887)
Southern Branch of the State Normal School (1887–1919)
Southern Branch of the University of California (1919–1927)
University of California at Los Angeles (1927–1958)

Established

May 23, 1919

Founder

Ernest Carroll Moore & Edward Augustus Dickson

University Motto

Let there be light

University Type

Public Research University

University City

Westwood, Los Angeles, California

Student to Faculty Ratio

18:1

Campus Size

467 acres (189 ha)

Endowment

$5.1 billion (2021)

Acceptance Rate

8.6%

Graduation Rate

90.5%

Employment Rate

91.5%

Official Website Link

 University of California, Los Angeles

Contact Detail

+1 310-825-4321

 

Evaluate your Chances of MS in US Admissions

Click Here

University of California, Los Angeles Virtual Tour

Ranking

UCLA ranking is #36 is the QS Global World Ranking 2021. Whereas, it is ranked by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings as 15th in the World University Rankings 2021, 26th in the US College Rankings 2021, and 9th in the World Reputation Rankings 2021. 

Acceptance Rate

The University of California Los Angeles acceptance rate is around 14%. Its acceptance rate for Indian students is around 23%

Infrastructure

Located in Los Angeles, UCLA campus is spread over 420 acres and is home to 163 majestic buildings. The library system of the University has over 8 million volumes. UCLA also has 10 research centers and institutes such as the Center for Cell Control, Wireless Health Institute, and others. It also has state-of-the-art research centers, laboratories, and other features. 

Residing Options

UCLA offers its students on-campus accommodation and has some excellent residences for this. However, living on-campus is slightly expensive and thus many students prefer to live off-campus in nearby areas. It should be remembered that Los Angeles is frightfully expensive and areas like Brent Wood, Beverly Hills and BelAir (popular choice of UCLA students) will set you back by $1000 a month for a studio apartment

Faculty and pedagogy

UCLA has excellent faculty. Most professors are keen on teaching and go the extra way out for interested students. Henry Samueli School of Engineering has 173 full-time professors on staff. 

Fees

UCLA fee for Indian students is around $28,000. The annual off-campus living costs around $9,000

Financial aid

UCLA has a number of scholarships. However, the catch here is that a student has to be an extremely deserving student to get one of the scholarships. The competition for the scholarships too is quite tough, so maintain your grades and prove your merit. Students can also apply for teaching and research assistantships- which again are not very easy to get. 

Jobs and Placements

The top recruiters employing from UCLA include:

  • Northrop Grumman Corporation
  • The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
  • Kaiser Permanente
  • The Walt Disney Company
  • Amazon.com Inc
  • Lockheed Martin Corp
  • The Boeing Company.

The most popular job profiles amongst the university alumni include Software Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Project Manager, Senior Software Engineer, and Electrical Engineer.

The highest earners amongst the university graduates are Senior Software Engineering earning an average salary of $131,660. Electrical Engineers earn an average salary of $83,214, while Mechanical Engineers earn an average salary of $77,660. MS graduates typically earn $59,622 - $113,353

Moreover, the UCLA Career Center offers various career-related services to the UCLA students and graduates and gets them in touch with employers and job and internship opportunities. Some of its services include Job Search Strategies, Career Counselling and  Graduate Student Services. 

Notable Alumni

Some famous alumni from University of California, Los Angeles include:

  • Marilyn Hall, Canadian-born American producer and philanthropist
  • Kristin Hanggi, Tony Award-nominated theater director
  • Tim Leary, Former Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Torey Lovullo, Former Major League Baseball infielder and minor league manager; manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Irwin Molasky, Real estate entrepreneur and early developer of Las Vegas
  • Ezri Namvar, Former founder and chairman of Namco Capital Group
  • Dorothy W. Nelson, Senior judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Evaluate your Chances of MS in US Admissions

Click Here

Verdict

Is there any verdict left to be given? Without an iota of doubt, UCLA is one of the finest schools in the country and you should only apply here if you have a very good profile. 

University of California, Los Angeles Location

The University of California, Los Angeles can be located by the zip code 90095 or by street address, 405 Hilgard Avenue. The Los Angeles International Airport, LAX, is the nearest to the university. You can take 405 Freeway north to the Wilshire Blvd, east exit and continue in the same direction. After several blocks, a left turn on Westwood Blvd will lead you to the university campus.

You can also take the Metro, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, and Culver City Bus to reach the campus.

Metro lines 2/302, 20, 720, 734, and 788, Big Blue Bus lines 1, 2, 3M, 8, and rapid 12, and Culver city lines 6 and rapid 6 bring you to the campus. You can also refer to the interactive maps or print the downloadable PDF maps exclusively available on the university website. You can also avail the campus parking that is available 24 hours a day.

University of California, Los Angeles Map Location

Address: Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States

 

Frequently Asked Questions about University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

 What is University of California famous for ?

Public research universities in the University of California system are consistently rated as some of the best in the world. UC is known for its groundbreaking research, inventions, and discoveries. Along with hundreds of museums, concert halls, art galleries, botanical gardens, observatories, and marine institutes, UC offers its students state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories. 

Is University of California hard to get into ?

The acceptance rates along with the application process differ across the UC system. The admittance rates for the two top-ranked institutions in the system, UCLA and UC Berkeley, are 14% and 18%, respectively. The University of California—Merced, which reported an acceptance rate of 85% for autumn 2020, is on the other extreme of the range.

Which UC is the most prestigious ?

Every UC campus has a distinct personality and provides a special learning opportunity. Even if one UC is considered to be more prestigious and has a higher ranking, your child may not be a good fit there. You must take into account each UC campus' community, academic offerings, and research while choosing the finest UC schools.

Which is harder UCLA or UC Berkeley ?

UCLA is quite competitive and only accepts applicants with a GPA of 3.9 or higher. The typical SAT score should fall between 1405 and 1600 on the scale. All UC Berkeley students must have a GPA of 3.89 to attend it. The typical SAT score ranges from 1415 to 1600.

Kickstart Your Study Abroad Journey with our FREE counseling
Kickstart Your Journey Abroad

Upcoming Events

Part-Time Job Opportunities While Studying Abroad

  Fri, September 29, 2023    17:00 IST

How to Choose the Right Education Loan & Save Lakhs

  Fri, September 29, 2023    18:00 IST

Part-Time Job Opportunities While Studying Abroad

  Fri, September 29, 2023    17:00 IST




Looking For Help in Foreign Education Loan? Arrange a Call From an Expert:

Enter Mobile no. Without Any Prefix.
By entering my phone number here, I hereby authorize GyanDhan to contact me through call, message or WhatsApp. \ It will override my registry on the NCPR/NDNC


Help our experts understand you better by filling our 2-Minute Form,
to find the right education loan

Get instant loan offer suitable to your profile !