UCLA: A Legacy of Academic Excellence and Innovation

Few institutions can match the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in culture, research, and education. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, this prestigious university boasts a rich history and a vibrant community. UCLA offers 337 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a range of disciplines, enrolling about 31,600 undergraduate and 14,300 graduate and professional students annually. UCLA is the most applied-to university in the country.

From Normal School to Renowned University: The Early Years

The story of UCLA begins with the need for more trained teachers in Southern California. Long before UCLA officially came into being in 1919, a steadfast advocate for education in Southern California helped lay the groundwork for Los Angeles’s first public institution of higher learning. A state legislator from 1880 to 1886, Reginaldo Francisco del Valle was instrumental in establishing the Branch State Normal School at Los Angeles, which opened in 1882.

In March 1881, at the request of state senator Reginaldo Francisco del Valle, the California State Legislature authorized the creation of a southern branch of the California State Normal School (now San José State University) in downtown Los Angeles to train teachers for the growing population of Southern California. The "Los Angeles branch of the California State Normal School" opened on August 29, 1882, on what is now the site of the Central Library of the Los Angeles Public Library system. The facility included a demonstration school where teachers-in-training could practice their techniques with children.

The Los Angeles State Normal School, established in 1882, was designed to train educators to meet the growing educational needs of Southern California. It made a significant contribution to the development of the teaching profession in the region.

In 1914, the school moved to a new campus on Vermont Avenue (now the site of Los Angeles City College) in East Hollywood. In 1916, a new site on Vermont Avenue in Hollywood was selected for the school. By 1919, it was renamed SBUC and expanded to include a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum called the College of Letters and Science.

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In 1917, UC Regent Edward Augustus Dickson, the only regent representing the Southland at the time, and Ernest Carroll Moore, Director of the Normal School, began to lobby the State Legislature to enable the school to become the second University of California campus, after UC Berkeley. On May 23, 1919, the Southern Californians' efforts were rewarded when Governor William D. Stephens signed Assembly Bill 626, establishing the Southern Branch of the University of California. The assets of the Los Angeles State Normal School were transferred to the Regents of the University of California.

Expansion and Growth: Establishing a New Campus

Under UC President William Wallace Campbell, enrollment at the Southern Branch expanded so rapidly that by the mid-1920s the institution was outgrowing the 25 acre Vermont Avenue location. The Regents announced the new "Beverly Site" - just west of Beverly Hills - in 1925.

The institution rapidly expanded to include third- and fourth-year programs. In 1925, the inaugural class graduated with 300 students, and in 1926, the Southern Branch was officially renamed the University of California, Los Angeles. In 1958, a comma was added, formally changing the name to the University of California, Los Angeles.

The original four buildings were the College Library (now Powell Library), Royce Hall, the Physics-Biology Building (which became the Humanities Building and is now the Renee and David Kaplan Hall), and the Chemistry Building (now Haines Hall), arrayed around a quadrangular courtyard on the 400 acre (1.6 km2) campus. The Janss Steps were the original 87-step entrance to the university that lead to the quad of these four buildings. The first undergraduate classes on the new campus were held in 1929 with 5,500 students. The new UCLA campus in 1929 had four buildings: Royce Hall and Haines Hall on the north, and Powell Library and Kinsey Hall (now called Renee And David Kaplan Hall) on the south.

Achieving Coequal Status and Continued Development

During its first 32 years, UCLA was treated as an off-site department of the main campus in Berkeley. As such, its presiding officer was called a "provost". This remained the case even when it grew into a major institution in its own right. In 1951, UCLA was formally elevated to coequal status with UC Berkeley, with both institutions headed by chancellors who reported on an equal basis to the president of the UC system. Raymond B. Allen was the first UCLA chief executive to be granted the title of chancellor. The appointment of Franklin David Murphy to the position of chancellor in 1960 helped spark an era of tremendous growth of facilities and faculty honors.

A Modern Campus: Architecture and Expansion

Today, the campus includes 163 buildings across 419 acres (1.7 km2) in the western part of Los Angeles, north of the Westwood shopping district and just south of Sunset Boulevard. The UCLA campus map showcases modern facilities spread across a 400-acre campus that boasts an award-winning landscape.

The first buildings were designed by the local firm Allison & Allison. The Romanesque Revival style of these first four structures remained the predominant building style until the 1950s, when architect Welton Becket was hired to supervise the expansion of the campus over the next two decades. Becket greatly streamlined its general appearance, adding several rows of minimalist, slab-shaped brick buildings to the southern half, the largest of these being the UCLA Medical Center. Architects such as A. Quincy Jones, William Pereira, and Paul Williams designed many subsequent structures on the campus during the mid-20th century. More recent additions include buildings designed by architects I.M. Pei, Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Richard Meier, Cesar Pelli, and Rafael Vinoly. To accommodate UCLA's rapidly growing student population, multiple construction and renovation projects are in progress, including expansions of the life sciences and engineering research complexes.

Academics and Research: A World-Class Institution

UCLA is consistently ranked among the best public colleges in the USA. The university offers over 125 majors and 90 minors for students to choose from. The inaugural graduating class, which consisted of 28 students, received their Bachelor of Education degrees on June 1, 1923, when UCLA was still known as the Southern Branch of the University of California. Today, the university has over 33,000 undergraduates and approximately 13,000 graduate students enrolled yearly. UCLA has the largest enrollment among the University of Californa’s 10 campuses. In 2024-25, UCLA had 48,651 students, including 33,471 undergraduates, 13,855 graduate students and 1,325 interns and residents in medicine and dentistry. The student-faculty ratio at University of California, Los Angeles is 20:1.

UCLA invests over $1 billion annually in research, enabling the financing of innovative studies. Its library system is one of the largest in the nation, housing well over 12 million books. UCLA's library system has over nine million books and 70,000 serials in over twelve libraries and eleven other archives, reading rooms, and research centers. It is the United States' 12th largest library in number of volumes. The first library, University Library (presently Powell Library), was founded in 1884. The faculty at UCLA includes Nobel Laureates, MacArthur Fellows, and National Medal of Science recipients.

Rankings and Recognition: A Top-Tier University

The most prominent rankings organizations consistently place UCLA among the top universities in the world for academics, research and community impact. News & World Report Best Colleges report ranked UCLA second among public universities and 17th among national universities. The Washington Monthly ranked UCLA 20th among national universities, with criteria based on research, community service, and social mobility.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2024-25 ranks UCLA 18th in the world for academics, No. 2 US Public University for academics, and 15th in the world for reputation. UCLA was ranked 43rd in the QS World University Rankings in 2024 and 13th in the world (11th in North America) by the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) in 2024.

Admissions and Financial Aid: Making Education Accessible

University of California, Los Angeles has a test-blind admissions policy. Forty-six percent of first-year students receive need-based financial aid, and the average net price for federal loan recipients is $15,637. Ample financial aid means most families pay less than full price. In fact, nearly half of undergraduates pay no tuition at all.

As of 2020, the basis for selection at UCLA includes several academic and nonacademic factors. Those considered "very important" are all academic; they are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, standardized test scores, and application essay(s). Those considered "important" are talent/ability, character/personal qualities, volunteer work, work experience, and extracurricular activities. UCLA's freshman admission rate varies drastically across colleges. For fall 2024, the College of Letters and Science had an admission rate of 10.9%, the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science (HSSEAS) had an admission rate of 5.3%, the Herb Alpert School of Music had an admission rate of 19.9%, the School of the Arts and Architecture had an admission rate of 5.5%, the Joe C.

Notable Alumni: Shaping the World

UCLA has been home to many iconic figures in sports history, including John Wooden, Arthur Ashe, Gary Beban, Rafer Johnson, Tiger Woods, Bill Walton, Ronda Rousey, and Kenny Washington. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, played for the UCLA Bruins before achieving success in the NBA. Notable alumni include the legendary actor James Dean, actor and filmmaker Ben Stiller, esteemed director James Cameron, and Francis Ford Coppola. Additionally, Ralph Bunche, another UCLA graduate, was the first African American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. One notable building on campus is named after African-American alumnus Ralph Bunche, who received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating an armistice agreement between the Jews and Arabs in Israel.

Campus Life and Location: A Perfect Setting

Southern California is known for its beautiful, sunny beaches, vibrant and diverse culture, and pleasant climate that many people find appealing. These remarkable surroundings, combined with a top-tier education, offer an exceptional experience for students. UCLA’s dining halls have received recognition as the #1 Best College Food in America by Business Insider. On-campus housing is situated at the center of university life, offering quick and convenient access to classrooms, labs, libraries, and sports facilities.

UCLA’s main campus is located on 419 acres in the Westwood community of Los Angeles. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, the same place as the American motion picture industry.

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