GPA for transferring from community college to UCs.

I'm hoping to transfer from community college to a University of California school. What GPA do I really need to be competitive? Are some UC campuses more challenging to get into than others?

To be eligible for transfer to a UC school, you need to have earned a minimum 2.4 GPA if you're a California resident, or 2.8 GPA if you're an out-of-state applicant. However, gaining admission to the UCs generally requires a GPA above the minimum. Competitive applicants tend to have GPAs higher than 3.5.

It's also important to note that there's significant variation in transfer acceptance rates across the UC campuses, which can give you insights into their relative selectivity. For instance, UC Merced, UC Riverside, and UC Santa Cruz typically accept a higher percentage of transfer students compared to UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego, which tend to be quite selective and might generally favor candidates with higher GPAs.

Remember, these values aren't prescriptive, and each application is seen in its own context. Factors like the rigor of your courses, your specific intended major and how it coincides with your coursework, and your extracurricular activities will also play a role in decision-making at these universities. As such, you should aim for the best grades you can get, but don't neglect other areas of your application.