If you wish to enroll at the University of California San Francisco, one of the things to look out for is the UCSF acceptance rate. With the admission rate, prospective students who wish to study in the school will know how easy or difficult it is to get into UCSF.
Learning about the UCSF acceptance rate and requirements will help you gain a better understanding of the school admission process.
In this article, we will cover all you need to know about UCSF; from the UCSF acceptance rate, to all the admission requirements needed.
Table of Contents
About UCSF University
The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) is a public research university located in San Francisco, California, United States. It has three main campuses: Parnassus Heights, Mission Bay, and Mount Zion.
Founded in 1864 as Toland Medical College and affiliated with the University of California in 1873, the world’s premier public research university system.
UCSF is a world-leading health science university and only offers graduate and postgraduate degrees – meaning it does not have undergraduate programs.
The university has four professional schools:
- Dentistry
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Pharmacy.
UCSF also has a graduate division with world-renowned programs in basic science, social/populational sciences, and physical therapy.
Some graduate programs are also offered through UCSF Global Health Sciences, an institute that focuses on improving health and reducing the burden of disease in the world’s most vulnerable population.
UCSF Acceptance Rate
The University of California San Francisco has a very low acceptance rate, making it one of the most selective universities in the United States.
Each professional schools at UCSF have its acceptance rate and it changes each year depending on the level of competition.
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UCSF School of Dentistry Acceptance Rate:
Admission into UCSF School of Dentistry is extremely competitive. In 2021, 1,537 students applied for the DDS program and only 99 applicants were admitted.
With these admission statistics, the UCSF School of Dentistry’s acceptance rate for the DDS program is 6.4%.
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UCSF School of Medicine Acceptance Rate:
The University of California San Francisco School of Medicine is one of the most selective medical schools in the United States. Each year, USCF Medical School’s acceptance rate is usually below 3%.
In 2021, 9,820 students applied, only 547 applicants were interviewed and only 161 students were enrolled.
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UCSF School of Nursing Acceptance Rate:
Admission to UCSF School of Nursing is also very competitive. In 2021, 584 students applied for a MEPN program, but only 89 students were admitted.
With these admission statistics, UCSF School of Nursing’s acceptance rate for the MEPN program is 15%.
In 2021, 224 students applied for a MS program and only 88 students were admitted. With these admission statistics, UCSF School of Nursing’s acceptance rate for the MS program is 39%.
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UCSF School of Pharmacy Acceptance Rate:
The University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy’s admission rate is usually less than 30%. Each year, UCSF School of Pharmacy accepts 127 students from about 500 applicants.
UCSF Academic Programs
As mentioned earlier, the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) has five professional schools, a graduate division, and an institute for global health education.
UCSF Academic Programs are divided into five categories:
- Dentistry Academic Programs
- Medicine Academic Programs
- Nursing Academic Programs
- Pharmacy Academic Programs
- Graduate Division Programs.
1. UCSF School of Dentistry Academic Programs
Founded in 1881, UCSF School of Dentistry is one of the leading institutions of oral and craniofacial health.
UCSF School of Dental is usually ranked among the top dental school in the United States. It offers a variety of graduate and postgraduate degree programs, which are:
- DDS program
- DDS/MBA
- DDS/PhD
- International Dentist Pathway (IDP) program
- Ph.D. in Oral and Craniofacial Sciences
- Interprofessional Health Post-Bac Certificate Program
- UCSF/NYU Langone Advanced Education in General Dentistry
- Post-graduate programs in Dental Public Health, Endodontics, General Practice Residency, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Medicine, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontology, and Prosthodontics
- Continuing Medical Education Courses.
2. UCSF School of Medicine Academic Programs
UCSF School of Medicine is one of the top medical schools in the US. It offers the following programs:
- MD program
- MD/Masters in Advanced Studies (MD/MAS)
- MD with Distinction
- Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) – a combined MD/Ph.D. program
- UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Medical Program (MD, MS)
- Joint UCSF/UC Berkeley MD/MPH program
- MD-PhD in History of Health Sciences
- Post Baccalaureate Program
- UCSP’s Program in Medical Education for the Urban Underserved (PRIME-US)
- San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education (SJV PRIME)
- Doctor of Physical Therapy: a joint degree offered by UCSF and SFSU
- Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science
- Continuing Medical Education Courses.
3. UCSF School of Nursing Academic Programs
The UCSF School of Nursing is consistently recognized among the best nursing schools in the US. It also has one of the highest NCLEX and National Certification Exam pass rates.
UCSF School of Nursing offers the following programs:
- Master’s Entry Program in Nursing (for non-RNs)
- Master of Science program
- MS Healthcare Administration and Interprofessional Leadership
- Post-Master’s Certificate Program
- UC Multi-Campus Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Post-Master’s Certificate
- Ph.D., Nursing Doctoral Program
- PhD, Sociology Doctoral Program
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Doctoral Program
- Postdoctoral Studies, including Fellowship Programs.
4. UCSF School of Pharmacy Academic Programs
Founded in 1872, UCSF School of Pharmacy is the first college of pharmacy in the western United States. It offers a lot of programs, which include:
- Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree program
- PharmD to Ph.D. career path
- PharmD/Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR)
- Ph.D. in Bioengineering (BioE) – UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Ph.D. program in Bioengineering
- PhD in Biological and Medical Informatics
- Ph.D. in Chemistry and Chemical Biology (CCB)
- PhD in Biophysics (BP)
- Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics (PSPG)
- Master of Translational Medicine: a joint UCSF and UC Berkeley program
- Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (CPT) Postdoctoral Training Program
- Pharmacy Residency Program
- Postdoctoral Fellowship in Regulatory Science (CERSI)
- PrOPEPS/Biogen Pharmacoeconomics Fellowship
- Postdoctoral Scholars program, including fellows
- UCSF-Actalion Clinical Research and Medical Communications Fellowship Program
- UCSF-Genentech Clinical Development Fellowship Program
- UCSF-Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (CPT) Postdoctoral Training Program
- Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life-science Partnership
- Career-development and leadership courses.
5. UCSF Graduate Division
UCSF Graduate Division offers 19 Ph.D. programs in basic, translational and social/population sciences; 11 master’s degree programs; and two professional doctorates.
Ph.D. Programs:
I) Basic and Biomedical Sciences
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Tetrad)
- Bioengineering (joint with UC Berkeley)
- Biological and Medical Informatics
- Biomedical Sciences
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology (Tetrad)
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology
- Epidemiology and Translational Science
- Genetics (Tetrad)
- Neuroscience
- Oral and Craniofacial Sciences
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics
- Rehabilitation Science
II) Social and Population Sciences
- Global Health Sciences
- History of Health Sciences
- Medical Anthropology
- Nursing
- Sociology
Master’s Programs:
- Biomedical Imaging MS
- Clinical Research MAS
- Genetic Counseling MS
- Global Health Sciences MS
- Health Data Science MS
- History of Health Sciences MA
- Health Policy and Law MS
- Nursing MEPN
- Oral and Craniofacial Sciences MS
- Nursing MS
- Translational Medicine MTM (joint with UC Berkeley)
Professional Doctorates:
- DNP: Doctor of Nursing Practice
- DPT: Doctor of Physical Therapy
Certificate Programs:
- Advanced Training in Clinical Research Certificate
- Health Data Science Certificates
- Interprofessional Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
Summer Research:
Summer Research Training Program (SRTP) for undergraduate students
UCSF Admission Requirements
The University of California San Francisco, as one of the US’s top medical schools, has a very competitive and holistic admission process.
Each professional school has its admission requirements, which vary depending on the program. Below are UCSF’s requirements:
UCSF School of Dentistry Admission Requirements
General entry requirements for UCSF dental programs are:
- Bachelor’s degree earned from an accredited university
- U.S. Dental Admission Test (DAT) is required
- Applicants must pass the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) – for postgraduate programs
- Letters of recommendation (at least 3).
UCSF School of Medicine Admission Requirements
Below are the general requirements for the MD program:
- A four-year undergraduate degree
- MCAT Scores
- Required pre-requisite courses: Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics
- Letters of recommendation ( 3 to 5).
UCSF School of Nursing Admission Requirements
Below are the entry requirements for the Master’s Entry Program in Nursing (MEPN):
- Bachelor’s degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
- GRE is not required
- Nine prerequisite courses: Microbiology, Physiology, Anatomy, Psychology, Nutrition, and Statistics.
- Goal statement
- Personal History Statement
- 4 to 5 recommendation letters
- English proficiency for non-native English speakers: TOEFL, or IELTS.
Below are the requirements for the Master of Science program:
- A bachelor’s degree in nursing from an NLNAC- or CCNE- accredited school,
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, OR
- Experience and licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN) with a U.S regionally accredited bachelor’s degree in another discipline
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
- Evidence of licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN) is required
- A current resume or CV, including all work and volunteer experience
- Goal Statement
- Personal History Statement
- English proficiency for non-native English speakers: TOEFL or IELTS
- Letters of recommendation.
Below are the requirements for Post-Master’s Certificate Program:
- Applicants must have completed and received a Master of Science in Nursing, typically MS, MSN, or MN
- Evidence of licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN) is required
- Goal Statement
- Official transcripts
- Minimum of 3 letters of recommendation
- Resume or CV
- English proficiency for non-native English speakers.
Below are the requirements for the DNP program:
- A master’s degree in nursing from an accredited college with a minimum GPA of 3.4
- No GRE required
- Practice Experience
- Applicants must be licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN)
- Resume or CV
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Goal Statement.
UCSF School of Pharmacy Admission Requirements
Below are the requirements for the PharmD Degree program:
- Undergraduate degree with a minimum of 2.80
- Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT)
- Prerequisite courses: General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology, Physiology, Microbiology, Calculus, Statistics, English, Humanities and/or Social Science
- Intern license requirement: Applicants must be able to secure and maintain a valid intern pharmacist license with the California Board of Pharmacy.
UCSF Cost of Attendance
The cost of attendance at the University of California San Francisco depends on the level of the program. Each school and division have different tuition rates.
Below is the annual cost of attendance for the four professional schools, the graduate division, and the institute for global health sciences:
School of Dentistry
- Tuition and fees: $58,841.00 for California residents and $67,086.00 for California nonresidents
School of Medicine
- Tuition and fees (MD program): $45,128.00 for California residents and $57,373.00 for California nonresidents
- Tuition and fees (Medicine Post-Baccalaureate Program): $22,235.00
School of Nursing
- Tuition and fees (Nursing Masters): $32,643.00 for California residents and $44,888.00 for California nonresidents
- Tuition and fees (Nursing Ph.D.): $19,884.00 for California residents and $34,986.00 for California nonresidents
- Tuition (MEPN): $76,525.00
- Tuition (DNP): $10,330.00
School of Pharmacy
- Tuition and fees: $54,517.00 for California residents and $66,762.00 for California nonresidents
Graduate Division
- Tuition and fees: $19,863.00 for California residents and $34,965.00 for California nonresidents
Global Health Sciences
- Tuition and fees (Masters): $52,878.00
- Tuition and fees (PhD): $19,863.00 for California residents and $34,965.00 for California nonresidents
Note: Tuition and fees represent the annual cost of studying at UCSF. It includes tuition, student fee, student health plan fee, and other fees. For more detailed information, visit this link.
Frequently Asked Questions
UCSF offers a variety of scholarships that can help you find your education. It offers two main types of scholarships: Regent scholarships and professional school scholarships. Regent scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence and professional school scholarships are awarded on the basis of need.
Internationally, UCSF is consistently ranked among the top medical schools in the world. UCSF is recognized by US News, Times Higher Education (THE), QS and other ranking bodies.
Students who are not English native speakers must have a valid English language proficiency test.
UCSF is part of the 10-campus University of California, the world's premier public research university. Does UCSF offer scholarships?
Is UCSF a good school?
Do I need IELTS to study at UCSF?
Is UCSF the same as the University of California?
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Conclusion
Securing a place at UCSF is very competitive because it has a very low acceptance rate. UCSF only admits students with extremely good academic performance.
A low acceptance rate should not discourage you from applying to UCSF, instead, it should motivate you to do better in your academics.
We wish you success as you apply to UCSF.
