University of California guide · By CalChannel Editorial Team · Updated October 1, 2026
UC Riverside (UCR) was founded in 1954 in Riverside, in Southern California’s Inland Empire, on roots that go back to the Citrus Experiment Station of 1907. Its campus covers about 1,900 acres. UCR admitted 88.2% of first-year applicants for Fall 2026, and U.S. News ranks it No. 1 in the nation for social mobility for 2027.
UC Riverside is the University of California campus people often know least about, even though it’s one of the easiest UCs to get into and one of the best at helping students from lower-income families graduate. This guide covers its history, campus and location first, since that’s what most people look up, and then explains admission and cost.
| Fact | UC Riverside |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1954 as a UC college; general UC campus since 1959 |
| Roots | UC Citrus Experiment Station, 1907 |
| Location | Riverside, Inland Empire, about 55 miles east of downtown Los Angeles |
| Campus size | About 1,900 acres |
| Students (Fall 2025) | 27,633 total; 24,034 undergraduates |
| First-year admit rate | 88.2% (Fall 2026); 86.1% (Fall 2025) |
| Transfer admit rate | 69.6% (Fall 2026) |
| Cost of attendance, university housing (2026-27) | $46,539 for new California residents |
| U.S. News 2027 | No. 1 social mobility; No. 37 public; No. 80 National Universities |
| Athletics | Highlanders, NCAA Division I, Big West Conference |
Sources: UC Riverside Common Data Set 2025-26; University of California admit data for Fall 2026; UCR Office of Financial Aid; University of California summary of U.S. News 2027 rankings.
In This Article
When Was UC Riverside Founded?
UC Riverside was established on February 14, 1954, when it opened as a small undergraduate liberal arts college of the University of California. Five years later, in 1959, the UC Regents made it a general campus of the University of California, which allowed it to grow into a full research university with graduate programs.
Its history in Riverside is older than that, though. In 1907, the University of California founded the Citrus Experiment Station in Riverside, at a time when the region was the center of California’s orange industry. Researchers there worked on biological pest control and plant growth, and the station’s work in agricultural science is the reason UCR is still known for entomology and plant biology today.
- 1907: UC Citrus Experiment Station founded in Riverside
- 1954: UC Riverside opens as an undergraduate college
- 1959: UC Regents designate UCR a general campus
- Today: a UC research university with schools of engineering, business, public policy, education and medicine
Where Is UC Riverside?
UC Riverside is in the city of Riverside, California, in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. Downtown Los Angeles is about 55 miles to the west, and Orange County is roughly an hour’s drive southwest, depending on traffic. Palm Springs and the desert lie to the east.
The campus sits at the foot of the Box Springs Mountains on the east side of the city. Metrolink commuter trains connect Riverside with Los Angeles and Orange County, and Ontario International Airport is the closest major airport. Compared with coastal UC campuses, the setting is hotter and drier in summer, but housing and living costs are lower.
The UC Riverside Campus
The UC Riverside campus covers about 1,900 acres, which makes it one of the larger UC campuses by land area. Much of that space isn’t classrooms. It includes agricultural research fields that continue the work of the Citrus Experiment Station, and the UCR Botanic Gardens in the foothills.
The center of campus is organized around the Carillon bell tower, UCR’s best-known landmark. Most classroom buildings, libraries and residence halls sit within walking distance of it. UCR’s first residence hall, Aberdeen-Inverness, opened in 1959, the same year UCR became a general campus.
The campus enrolled 27,633 students in Fall 2025, including 24,034 undergraduates and 3,599 graduate students, according to its Common Data Set. Undergraduates study in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences; the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences; the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering; the School of Business; and the School of Public Policy. UCR also has a School of Education and a School of Medicine.
UC Riverside Acceptance Rate
UC Riverside admitted 88.2% of first-year applicants for Fall 2026: 72,542 applied and 63,958 were admitted, according to admit data published by the University of California. The middle 50% of admitted students had high school GPAs between 3.66 and 4.17. For Fall 2025, UCR admitted 86.1% of first-year applicants and 86.2% of California residents, according to its Common Data Set.
| UC Riverside admission | Applicants | Admits | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-year, Fall 2026 | 72,542 | 63,958 | 88.2% |
| First-year, Fall 2025 | 61,184 | 52,676 | 86.1% |
| Transfer, Fall 2026 | 14,915 | 10,382 | 69.6% |
| Transfer, Fall 2025 | 13,778 | 9,341 | 67.8% |
Sources: University of California, UC Riverside first-year and transfer admit data (Fall 2026); UC Riverside Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025).
Unlike most UC campuses, UCR admits California residents at roughly the same rate as out-of-state applicants. That makes it one of the most dependable choices on a UC application list, with the same systemwide tuition, degree and access to UC graduate programs as any other campus. For transfers, 96% of Fall 2026 admits came from California community colleges, and UCR takes part in the UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG).
The standard UC rules apply: at least a 3.0 GPA in A-G courses for California residents or 3.4 for nonresidents, no SAT or ACT, an $80 application fee per campus with waivers for students with financial need, and a November 30 deadline.
What Does UC Riverside Cost?
For new California students entering in 2026-27, UC Riverside estimates a cost of attendance of $46,539 in university housing, $44,329 off campus and $35,764 living at home. Nonresidents add $39,270 in Nonresident Supplemental Tuition, which brings the university housing budget to $85,809.
| UCR budget, new first-years 2026-27 (California residents) | University housing |
|---|---|
| UC tuition and fees | $15,588 |
| Campus and tech fees | $1,202 |
| UC student health insurance (can be waived) | $2,824 |
| Housing | $13,793 |
| Food | $7,282 |
| Books and supplies | $1,700 |
| Transportation | $1,275 |
| Personal expenses | $2,875 |
| Total | $46,539 |
| Total off campus / living at home | $44,329 / $35,764 |
Source: UCR Office of Financial Aid, 2026-27 Estimated Costs for New Students Enrolling as First-Year Undergraduates. New students also pay one-time fees in their first term, including a $300 orientation fee and a $225 document fee.
Aid changes that picture for most families. Nearly 80% of UCR undergraduates receive financial aid, according to the university. UC’s Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan covers UC tuition for most California families earning up to $100,000, and Cal Grants, Pell Grants and the Middle Class Scholarship can help with living costs.
Our take: For students in the Inland Empire, UCR is one of the lowest-cost ways to earn a UC degree. Living at home cuts the budget by about $10,800 a year compared with university housing, and the $2,824 health insurance charge can be waived with comparable coverage.
Is UC Riverside a Good School?
Yes, and its strongest case is outcomes for students who often get left behind. In the U.S. News 2027 rankings, UC Riverside is No. 1 in the nation for social mobility, a measure of how well colleges enroll and graduate students who receive Pell Grants. It also ranks No. 37 among public universities and No. 80 among all national universities.
About 88% of first-year students return for a second year, 64% of the 2019 entering class graduated in four years and 75% within six. The student-to-faculty ratio is 22:1. Academically, UCR is known for entomology, plant science and agricultural research, as well as engineering, business, public policy and a School of Medicine focused on the Inland Empire’s shortage of physicians.
Nearby, CSU San Bernardino and California Baptist University are other Inland Empire options. Within the UC system, students often compare UCR with UC Merced and UC Irvine.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was UC Riverside founded?
UC Riverside was founded on February 14, 1954, as an undergraduate college of the University of California. It became a general UC campus in 1959. Its predecessor, the UC Citrus Experiment Station, dates to 1907.
How many acres is UCR?
The UC Riverside campus covers about 1,900 acres, including agricultural research fields and the UCR Botanic Gardens.
Where is UC Riverside?
UC Riverside is in Riverside, California, in the Inland Empire, about 55 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, at the foot of the Box Springs Mountains.
What is the UC Riverside acceptance rate?
UC Riverside admitted 88.2% of first-year applicants for Fall 2026, or 63,958 of 72,542, according to the University of California. The Fall 2025 rate was 86.1%.
How much does UC Riverside cost?
For new California students in 2026-27, UCR estimates $46,539 in university housing, including $15,588 in UC tuition and fees. Nonresidents add $39,270.
Does UC Riverside require the SAT or ACT?
No. UC campuses, including UC Riverside, do not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions.
The Bottom Line on UC Riverside
UC Riverside was founded in 1954, grew out of a 1907 citrus research station and today occupies about 1,900 acres in Riverside’s Inland Empire. It admitted 88.2% of first-year applicants and 69.6% of transfers for Fall 2026, and it ranks first in the nation for social mobility.
For new California students, budget about $46,500 in university housing for 2026-27, or about $35,800 living at home, before aid. Apply by November 30, and compare UCR with other UC campuses on the same application.
Sources
- University of California. “Riverside: First-Year Admit Data” and “Transfer Admit Data.” Fall 2026.
- UC Riverside Institutional Research. “Common Data Set 2025-26.” ucr.edu.
- UCR Office of Financial Aid. “Cost of Attending UC Riverside: 2026-27 Estimated Costs.” ucr.edu.
- University of California. “U.S. News 2027 Best Colleges Rankings.” universityofcalifornia.edu.
- Wikipedia. “University of California, Riverside campus.” Wikipedia.org.
- University of California. “Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan.” universityofcalifornia.edu.
CalChannel Editorial Team California college guides
The CalChannel editorial team researches and writes guides to California colleges, admissions and financial aid. We build our college profiles and aid guides from colleges’ own published data, federal IPEDS data and the California Student Aid Commission. Read our editorial policy.
