Public · #76 National University
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA · 22,593 undergraduates
What it may cost by family income
Estimated average net price — what families actually pay after grants and scholarships — by annual household income. Net price matters far more than the $73,142 sticker price. All figures are the full cost of attendance — housing, food, and books included, not just tuition.
| Household income | Est. net price / year |
|---|---|
| Under $30k | $8,852 |
| $30k–$48k | $9,840 |
| $48k–$75k | $13,111 |
| $75k–$110k | $16,571 |
| Over $110k | $30,393 |
Sticker cost of attendance: $73,142 (out-of-state) · $38,942 in-state.
What the whole degree costs
Every cost figure above is one year. A bachelor's degree is four — sometimes five. Today's-prices makes no assumptions; the second column assumes prices rise ~3.5% a year, in line with recent averages.
| Household income | 4 yrs, today's prices | 4 yrs with increases |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30k | $35,408 | $37,311 |
| $30k–$48k | $39,360 | $41,475 |
| $48k–$75k | $52,444 | $55,262 |
| $75k–$110k | $66,284 | $69,846 |
| Over $110k | $121,572 | $128,105 |
76% of students here graduate within six years. If the degree takes a fifth year, budget roughly one more year at the prices above — ask the school what share of students finish in four.
First-year aid is not guaranteed to repeat — ask University of California, Riverside how grants change after year one. That answer moves these numbers more than anything else on this page.
Applying to a specific major at University of California, Riverside
76% is the acceptance rate for the whole university — not for every major. For the programs below, admission is usually decided separately and is harder than that number suggests. Almost no university publishes a by-major admission rate, and neither does the federal government, so we do not show one: any site that does is estimating.
To find the real figure for your major, check University of California, Riverside's Common Data Set and its admissions page, or ask an admissions officer directly — that question gets answered more often than students expect.
At University of California, Riverside: 120 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $59,912 median earnings (Mechanical Engineering.)
Most engineering colleges admit students directly into the college rather than the university at large, and review them against a separate, usually more selective pool.
Check: Whether you apply to the engineering college directly, and what happens if you are not admitted — some schools offer general admission with a later transfer path, others do not.
At University of California, Riverside: 836 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $39,087 median earnings (Business Administration, Management and Operations.)
Many undergraduate business schools admit their own cohort at application time and are more selective than the university overall; others admit only after two years of coursework.
Check: Whether the business school is direct-admit for first-years, and if not, what GPA the internal application actually requires.
At University of California, Riverside: 190 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $25,503 median earnings (Film/Video and Photographic Arts.)
Admission usually turns on an audition or portfolio judged by the department, which can outweigh grades and test scores in either direction.
Check: Audition/portfolio dates and prescreen requirements — many fall well before the regular application deadline.
Federal data shows no bachelor's completions at University of California, Riverside in computer science, nursing or architecture, so those are not listed above. Small or new programs can be missing from federal reporting — confirm with the school before ruling one out.
What graduates earn, by major
Median earnings and median federal loan debt for bachelor's graduates of University of California, Riverside, by field of study, from the U.S. Department of Education. Earnings differ far more between majors at one school than between schools.
| Major | Median earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. · Business | $39,087 | — |
| Biology, General. · Biological Sciences | $23,391 | — |
| Sociology. · Social Sciences | $28,423 | — |
| Economics. · Social Sciences | $38,937 | — |
| Political Science and Government. · Social Sciences | $27,984 | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts. · Visual & Performing Arts | $25,503 | — |
| Mathematics. · Mathematics & Statistics | $29,141 | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology. · Biological Sciences | $19,508 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering. · Engineering | $59,912 | — |
| English Language and Literature, General. · Humanities | $24,962 | — |
| History. · Humanities | $23,087 | — |
| Anthropology. · Social Sciences | $23,571 | — |
Largest programs shown. Earnings are measured a few years after graduation and reflect who enrolls as much as what is taught.
Is University of California, Riverside a reach, target, or safety for you?
Ladder2College models your personal admission odds and net cost here — based on your GPA, scores, and family income — and shows how it fits alongside the rest of your list.
Model my odds & cost — freeFigures are estimates modeled on U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data and recent reporting, provided for guidance only. Always confirm cost with University of California, Riverside’s official net price calculator and admissions figures with the school directly.