UVA & UCLA Research Notes
uva_ucla.md
UVA & UCLA Research Notes
University of Virginia (UVA)
Admissions (Class of 2029 / Fall 2025)
- Total applicants: 56,000
- Overall acceptance rate: 16.9%
- EA acceptance rate: 24.0%
- RD acceptance rate: 14.0%
- Class size: 3,900
- Yield: 26%
Academics
- SAT middle 50%: 1410–1520
- ACT middle 50%: 33–35
- Avg unweighted GPA: 3.88
- Top 10% of HS class: 90%
- Testing policy: Test-optional
Round Strategy
- EA (non-binding, non-restrictive)
- EA rate 24.0% vs RD rate 14.0% (~1.7x advantage)
- Does not offer ED
Demographics
- Women: 54.0%, Asian: 10.1%, Black: 5.5%, Hispanic: 5.2%, White: 61.6%, International: 8.5%
Financial Aid / Net Cost
| Income Bracket | Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $8,724 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $6,800 |
| Over $110,000 | $27,114 |
Athletics
- 361 varsity athletes (~3.2% of undergrads)
- NCAA Division I, ACC Conference
Notable
Public flagship. Significant in-state advantage: ~23% OOS vs ~14% in-state acceptance rate. Founded by Thomas Jefferson; strong tradition and honor culture. Access UVA program provides full financial aid for families under $80K. Among the most selective public universities nationally alongside Michigan and UCLA.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Admissions (Fall 2025)
- Total applicants: 145,900 (most applied-to university in the US)
- Overall acceptance rate: 8.6%
- Class size: 6,600
- Yield: 18%
- No early action or early decision rounds
Academics
- SAT middle 50%: 1290–1510
- ACT middle 50%: 30–34
- Avg unweighted GPA: 3.90
- Top 10% of HS class: 97%
- Testing policy: Test-blind (SAT/ACT not considered at all)
Round Strategy
- UC system application (November 30 deadline, all UCs)
- No early rounds — single deadline for all applicants
- In-state vs out-of-state distinction significant
Demographics
- Women: 52.8%, Asian: 26.9%, Black: 2.9%, Hispanic: 16.9%, White: 30.6%, International: 15.3%
Financial Aid / Net Cost
| Income Bracket | Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $8,181 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $6,400 |
| Over $110,000 | $28,576 |
Athletics
- 377 varsity athletes (~1.2% of undergrads — low %)
- NCAA Division I, Big Ten Conference (moved from Pac-12 in 2024)
- Strong Olympic tradition (multiple gold medalists)
Notable
Test-blind — SAT/ACT scores are not considered at all (unlike test-optional). Largest and most applied-to elite university. High Asian enrollment (26.9%) reflects California demographics and STEM focus. In-state applicants have some advantage in certain colleges. Yield is low (18%) — heavily used as a backup/insurance by applicants targeting private elites.
Sources
- UVA Common Data Set 2024–2025
- UCLA CDS and UC System Enrollment Reports 2024–2025
- research_colleges.json simulation data