CSU-UC Comparison of Minimum Freshman Admission Requirements
Information is accurate as of August 2023
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Pass/Credit grades allowed for A-G coursework completed in winter 2020 through summer 2021.
* High school-level coursework completed in 7th and/or 8th grade can be used to meet the area C and/or E requirements only.
** It is best to prepare for both UC and the CSU by completing two laboratory courses from the D subject area.
California State University (CSU) University of California (UC)
SUBJECT REQUIREMENTS
15 yearlong/30 semester college preparatory A-G courses are required with letter grades of C or better
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:
11 UC-required college-preparatory courses must be completed prior to senior year
(including summer courses)
A │ History/Social Science
2 years/4 semesters of history/social science, including one year of U.S. history OR one semester of U.S. history
and one semester of American government, AND
1 year of history/social science from either
the A or G subject area
1 year of world history, cultures, or historical geography (including European History)
from the A subject area.
B │ English
4 years/8 semesters of college preparatory English composition/literature (including no more than 1 year of Advanced ESL/ELD):
Advanced ESL may be substituted for the first year of the 4 years of English. ESL/ELD cannot meet the senior year of English.
C │ Mathematics
3 years/6 semesters of mathematics (including or integrating topics covered in elementary algebra, two- and three-dimensional geometry, and advanced algebra)*
(Also acceptable are courses that address the above content areas, and include or integrate: probability, statistics or trigonometry.)
Students applying to CSU and UC must complete a geometry course (or integrated math courses with geometry content).
D │ Science
2 years/4 semesters of science
At least 1 year of physical science and 1 year of biological science, one year
must be from the D subject area and the second year may be from the D or
G area**
Integrated/Interdisciplinary courses may be used to fulfill either physical
or biological science.
Must include at least two of the three foundational subjects of biology, chemistry, and
physics (including Biology/Earth & Space Sciences, Chemistry/ Earth & Space Sciences,
and Physics/Earth & Space Sciences as part of the Next Generation Science Standards
[NGSS] models); or two years of a three-year NGSS integrated science model; or one
year of biology, chemistry or physics and one year of an approved science chosen from
the earth & space sciences or interdisciplinary sciences disciplines. Approved courses in
the applied science, computer science, and engineering disciplines may only be used for
a 3
rd
year (or beyond) of the science requirement. Courses must be from the D subject
area.
E │ Language Other Than English
2 years/4 semesters (or equivalent to the 2
nd
level of high school instruction) of a language other than English*
(Courses must be in the same language, American Sign Language allowed)
F │ Visual and Performing Arts
1 year/2 semesters (or two one-semester courses in the same discipline) required, chosen from the following disciplines:
Dance, Music, Theater, Visual Arts or Interdisciplinary Arts
G │ College Preparatory Elective
1 year/2 semesters of elective course work chosen from any area on approved A-G course list
REPEATED COURSES California State University (CSU) University of California (UC)
CSU and UC do not use plus/minus grades in the GPA calculation; for example, a C- = C.
Required A-G courses must be completed with a grade of C or better
#
. Any
course may be repeated with the exact same course. There is no limitation
on the number of times a course can be repeated. Repeated courses are
only used once and the instance with the highest earned grade will be used
in the GPA calculation.
Required A-G courses must be completed with a letter grade of C or better
#
. Courses
with D/F grades may be repeated. There is no limitation on the number of times a
course can be repeated. Repeated courses can have the same or similarly named
course titles (e.g., English 9 or English 1). The first instance of a letter grade C or better
will be used in the GPA calculation.
CSU-UC Comparison of Minimum Freshman Admission Requirements
Information is accurate as of August 2023
California State University (CSU) University of California (UC)
VALIDATION OF SUBJECT OMISSION BY OTHER COURSES
Mathematics
A letter grade of C or better in the second semester of Geometry will validate the first semester. A letter grade of C or better in the first semester of Algebra II validates both semesters
of Algebra I. A letter grade of C or better in Statistics will validate Algebra I and Algebra II but will not validate Geometry.
Integrated style Math 2 will be accepted in lieu of a Geometry course.
A letter grade of C or better in the second semester of an area C course with a discipline of
Precalculus, Calculus, or Other Advanced Mathematics on the A-G website validates the
entire high school college preparatory requirement.
A letter grade of C or better in Integrated style Math 3 which includes geometry content
validates the omission of Integrated style Math 2. Refer to CSU’s Admission Handbook.
The omission of a full year of geometry cannot be validated by any higher-level
coursework.
A letter grade of C or better in any semester of a math course with the discipline of
Precalculus, Calculus, Statistics or Other Advanced Math will validate two years of
the requirement, but not Geometry.
A letter grade of C or better in Integrated style Math 3 which includes geometry
content validates the omission of Integrated style Math 2.
Refer to UC’s Validation Matrix in Quick Reference Guide to UC Admissions.
Language Other
than English
(LOTE)
A letter grade of C or better in a semester of a higher-level course validates a lower-level course. A higher-level LOTE course can validate the appropriate number of years based on the
level. A college course can validate high school LOTE courses. The level of validation depends on the college course prerequisite and description. For courses offered at a California
Community College refer to ASSIST and look for the footnote indicating the course corresponds to two years of high school instruction.
Chemistry
A grade of C or better in the second semester of Chemistry will validate the first semester. UC does not allow validation of Chemistry.
VALIDATION OF DEFICIENT (D/F) GRADES IN REQUIRED COURSES
Courses in which grades of D/F are earned may be validated in the areas of Math and Language Other Than English (LOTE) by successful completion of higher-level coursework,
including D/F grades in Geometry. For UC, refer to the Validation Matrices in Quick Reference Guide to UC Admissions.
CSU also allows the validation of D/F grades in Chemistry. For CSU, refer to the CSU Admission Handbook.
VALIDATION OF SUBJECT REQUIREMENTS BY TEST SCORES
Required A-G courses may be satisfied with appropriate test scores on ACT, SAT, SAT Subject Tests (discontinued in 2021), Advanced Placement exams, and designated
International Baccalaureate exams. A list of acceptable tests and scores is available on the CSU website; for UC, refer to Quick Reference Guide to UC Admissions. For UC, the
omission of a course in Geometry cannot be validated by any examination score.
HIGH SCHOOL GPA
Calculate GPA using all A-G approved courses completed during the summer after the 9th grade through summer after the 11th grade---excluding deficient grades which have been
repeated. CSU and UC do not use plus/minus grades in the GPA calculation; for example, a C- = C.
Repeated courses are calculated once using the highest grade earned. When completing
the online admission application, the repeated course is also only reported once using the
highest grade earned.
Repeated courses are calculated once using the first instance of a letter grade of C,
B, or A. UC does not average grades. However, when completing the UC
admission application, all A-G courses and grades must be reported.
HONORS POINTS
Maximum of 8 extra grade points (honors points) from four yearlong courses (8 semesters) awarded for UC-approved high school created honors, all AP, some IB courses and
transferable college courses. No more than two yearlong courses (4 semesters) completed in 10
th
grade can be used in the honors points calculation.
TEST SCORES – ACT/SAT
ACT or SAT
The CSU no longer considers ACT/SAT examinations in determining admission eligibility for all
CSU campuses and in awarding CSU scholarships. Student will not be penalized if they choose
not to submit scores. If students choose to submit test scores as part of their application, they
will be used as one factor of the multiple measures used for English and quantitative
reasoning/mathematics college course placement (
www.CSUStudentSuccess.org) in the
campus they plan to enroll in. SAT Subject Tests have been discontinued and are no longer
recommended for any campuses or majors.
UC no longer considers SAT or ACT test scores when making admissions decisions or
awarding scholarships. If students choose to submit test scores as part of their
application, they may be used as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum
requirements for eligibility or for course placement after enrollment. SAT Subject
Tests have been discontinued and are no longer recommended for any campuses or
majors.
