University of California (UC) Tuition & Fees 2026–27 — All 9 Campuses
Published tuition for the University of California system — not to be confused with other "UC" schools like the University of Cincinnati — for California resident undergraduates newly enrolling in Fall 2026. UC tuition is locked by entering cohort (see below), so continuing students on an earlier cohort pay a different, lower rate. Out-of-state rates and graduate rates are different — see below.
UC Tuition & Fees by Campus — 2026–27 (New California-Resident Undergraduates)
| Campus | Systemwide Fees | Campus-Based Fees (2025-26) | Total — CA Resident | Total — Nonresident & International |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Davis | $15,588 | $2,362 | $17,950 | $57,220 |
| UC San Diego | $15,588 | $2,349 | $17,937 | $57,207 |
| UC Berkeley | $15,588 | $2,229 | $17,817 | $57,087 |
| UC Santa Barbara | $15,588 | $1,996 | $17,584 | $56,854 |
| UC Santa Cruz | $15,588 | $1,651 | $17,239 | $56,509 |
| UC Merced | $15,588 | $1,357 | $16,945 | $56,215 |
| UC Irvine | $15,588 | $1,286 | $16,874 | $56,144 |
| UC Riverside | $15,588 | $1,169 | $16,757 | $56,027 |
| UCLA | $15,588 | $790 | $16,378 | $55,648 |
Nonresident and international students pay identical campus-based fees — these are flat per-student charges, the same for everyone. The only difference is Nonresident Supplemental Tuition of $39,270, which is also the same at all nine campuses, so the campus you pick changes your cost by the same amount whether you are a resident or not. There is no separate international tuition rate at UC, though some campuses add a one-time international visa administration fee (UC San Diego charges $150).
Systemwide fees are 2026-27; campus-based fees are 2025-26 — the latest per-campus figures published systemwide. Source: UCOP Standard Methodology Budgets 2025-26, Table 7. Campuses publish their own 2026-27 campus fees individually from July 2026; two are confirmed so far — UCLA $842 (UCLA Financial Aid) and UC Davis $2,490 (UC Davis Financial Aid). Health insurance is billed separately and is not included above. Housing and food are additional — see the table below.
UC Housing & Food Cost by Campus — 2025-26
These are the housing-and-food allowances UC itself uses to calculate financial aid at each campus. They combine rent and food into one annual figure, which is how UC budgets them.
| Campus | Living on campus | Living off campus | Living with parents |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | $24,618 | $20,021 | $8,968 |
| UC Merced | $22,594 | $13,956 | $8,968 |
| UC Santa Barbara | $21,975 | $17,723 | $8,968 |
| UC Santa Cruz | $20,929 | $20,902 | $8,968 |
| UC Davis | $20,437 | $15,957 | $8,968 |
| UC Riverside | $20,416 | $16,808 | $8,968 |
| UC Irvine | $19,653 | $20,516 | $8,968 |
| UC San Diego | $19,632 | $19,525 | $8,968 |
| UCLA | $18,960 | $19,888 | $8,968 |
Annual housing + food combined, California-resident undergraduates, 2025-26. Source: UCOP Standard Methodology Budgets 2025-26, Table 7. These are UC's own budgeting allowances, not prices you are charged — your actual cost depends on your housing contract and meal plan. Off-campus works out cheaper than on-campus at seven of the nine campuses — dramatically so at UC Merced ($8,638/year less). The two exceptions are UC Irvine (off-campus costs $863 more) and UCLA ($928 more). At UC San Diego and UC Santa Cruz the gap is small enough to ignore ($107 and $27 a year respectively), so pick on price only after weighing commute and convenience.
Off-Campus Rent Near Each UC Campus — 2026
If you are sharing a house or apartment, the per-person column is the number that matters. Sharing a 4-bedroom instead of renting a 1-bedroom cuts the monthly cost by roughly half at every campus.
| Campus | 1-bedroom | 2-bedroom | Own room, 2BR share | Own room, 3BR share | Own room, 4BR share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Santa Cruz | $3,537 | $4,536 | $2,268 | $1,923 | $1,520 |
| UC Irvine | $3,090 | $3,641 | $1,820 | $1,647 | $1,475 |
| UC Santa Barbara | $2,971 | $3,383 | $1,692 | $1,471 | $1,258 |
| UCLA | $2,740 | $3,417 | $1,709 | $1,444 | $1,206 |
| UC San Diego | $2,645 | $3,225 | $1,613 | $1,433 | $1,301 |
| UC Berkeley | $2,452 | $2,994 | $1,497 | $1,276 | $1,135 |
| UC Riverside | $1,911 | $2,368 | $1,184 | $1,045 | $946 |
| UC Davis | $1,906 | $2,484 | $1,242 | $1,147 | $938 |
| UC Merced | $1,258 | $1,560 | $780 | $715 | $650 |
Monthly rent, excluding food and utilities. Source: UCOP, Typical Housing Costs Near UC Campuses (March 2026), derived from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents averaged across ZIP codes within five miles of each campus. These are area-wide typical rents, not listings — actual rents vary by neighbourhood, unit and lease timing.
Why Your Rate Depends on When You Enrolled
Since 2022–23, UC has used a Multi-Year Tuition Stability Plan: the systemwide tuition and fee rate you pay is locked in based on the academic year you first enroll, then increases only modestly (roughly 3–4.5%/year) in each subsequent year you're continuously enrolled. That means "current UC tuition" is genuinely a different number depending on whether you're asking about a new student or a continuing one:
| First enrolled in… | 2026-27 tuition | 2026-27 fee | Systemwide total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (new students) | $14,202 | $1,386 | $15,588 |
| 2025-26 | $13,602 | $1,332 | $14,934 |
| 2024-25 | $13,146 | $1,290 | $14,436 |
| 2023-24 | $12,522 | $1,230 | $13,752 |
| 2022-23 | $11,928 | $1,176 | $13,104 |
| 2021-22 or earlier | $11,442 | $1,128 | $12,570 |
Source: UC Office of the President, 2026-27 Tuition and Fee Levels (published 6/17/26), cross-checked against the 2025-26 schedule.
This page leads with the 2026-27 entering-cohort rate since that's what a prospective student researching UC costs today will actually pay. If you're a continuing student, use your own entering year's row above instead.
How UC Tuition Is Structured
Unlike many university systems where each campus sets its own base tuition, the University of California uses a centralized tuition model. All nine undergraduate UC campuses charge the same systemwide tuition and Student Services Fee — both set annually by the UC Board of Regents. For a new 2026–27 student, this totals $15,588.
On top of systemwide fees, each campus charges its own campus-based fees — approved independently by each campus. These cover local programs, facilities, transit, student activities, and other campus-specific services. The spread is wider than most people expect. In 2025-26 campus-based fees ranged from $790 at UCLA — the lowest in the system — to $2,362 at UC Davis, a difference of about $1,570 a year for otherwise identical tuition. For scale, UC San Diego's intercollegiate athletics fee alone is $354.43 per quarter ($1,063/year), more than UCLA's entire campus fee. UC Merced, the newest and smallest campus, sits mid-range at $1,357 (see the full UC Merced cost breakdown).
What UC Tuition Does and Does Not Cover
UC tuition and fees pay for academic instruction, library access, campus health center services, student government, recreational facilities, and a range of student support services. They do not cover:
- Housing and meals: On-campus housing and food ran $18,960–$24,618/year in 2025-26 depending on the campus. Off-campus ran $13,956–$20,902, and living with parents about $8,968. See the per-campus tables below for the exact figure at each campus.
- Books and course materials: Budget approximately $800–$1,500/year. STEM and medical-adjacent courses often have higher material costs; many professors now use open-access materials.
- Transportation: UC campuses in urban areas (Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD) often have excellent transit access — many offer subsidized student transit passes. Students with cars pay $2,000–$5,000/year in gas, insurance, and parking.
- Personal expenses: Clothing, phone bills, entertainment, and incidentals — budget $1,500–$3,000/year.
- Health insurance: UC requires students to have health insurance. The UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP) costs approximately $3,100–$4,500/year. Students can waive it by showing comparable coverage under a parent's plan.
The total cost of attendance — tuition plus all of the above — for a new 2026-27 resident student ranges from roughly $25,000+/year (commuting from home) to $43,000+/year (on-campus, high-cost campus like Berkeley or UCLA). These are planning estimates, not official cost-of-attendance figures — always cross-check against your specific campus's financial aid net price calculator.
In-State vs. Out-of-State Tuition at UC
The UC system charges significantly higher tuition to students who are not California residents. For the 2026-27 entering cohort, out-of-state and international undergraduates pay the same $15,588 in systemwide fees, plus Nonresident Supplemental Tuition (NRST) of $39,270. This brings systemwide tuition and fees for new nonresident students to $54,858 — before campus-based fees — more than three times what in-state students pay.
Source: UC Office of the President, 2026-27 Tuition and Fee Levels.
See the full out-of-state tuition breakdown for a campus-by-campus look at nonresident costs. California residency for tuition purposes has specific requirements. Students who moved to California primarily to attend school are generally not considered residents in their first year. After one year in California without the purpose of attending school, students can petition for resident classification. International students on F-1 visas do not qualify for in-state tuition.
The UC Blue & Gold Opportunity Plan — Free Tuition for Many Families
One of the most significant — and underadvertised — aspects of UC financial aid is the Blue & Gold Opportunity Plan. Under this program, California resident undergraduates from families with total annual income below $80,000 receive UC grants that cover the full cost of systemwide tuition and fees. In effect, these students pay zero in systemwide tuition, regardless of which cohort rate applies to them.
The program applies automatically to students who file a FAFSA or California Dream Act Application by March 2. Eligibility is recalculated each year based on reported family income. Students receiving Pell Grants — typically those from families earning under $60,000/year — often have their entire tuition covered and may also receive additional aid for housing and living expenses.
For families earning between $80,000 and $150,000, UC campuses also provide institutional grant aid, though the amounts vary. The key takeaway: the published tuition figure is a sticker price. Many California students pay significantly less — and some pay nothing. Always file the FAFSA and use each campus's Net Price Calculator to see a personalized estimate.
UC Tuition History and Recent Changes
UC tuition was frozen for eleven years (2011–2022) following intense political pressure after a period of rapid increases. During this period, many students and families expected stable costs. Beginning in 2022–23, the UC Board of Regents approved the Multi-Year Tuition Stability Plan described above, which ties modest, predictable annual increases to each entering cohort rather than raising the rate for everyone at once.
Out-of-state tuition has continued to increase more steeply than resident tuition and now represents more than three times the in-state rate — a pattern that has drawn criticism from California lawmakers who argue it crowds out California residents at competitive campuses like Berkeley and UCLA.
How UC Compares to CSU and Community College
Even at the lowest-fee campus, UC systemwide-plus-campus tuition and fees for a new 2026-27 student (roughly $16,600–$17,700) is significantly more expensive than the CSU system or California community colleges. See the CSU tuition page and community college cost guide for current comparable figures.
The 2+2 transfer path — two years at a community college followed by two years at a UC — meaningfully reduces total degree cost versus four years at a UC, while the degree earned at the end is a UC degree with the same academic credential. See the full California college cost comparison and path calculator for a detailed side-by-side analysis.