Applying to a UC or CSU school? Here’s what you need to know about the process
The Thanksgiving holiday brings with it school breaks and high school seniors rushing to complete their college applications as deadlines quickly approach.
What is needed to apply for admission to the state’s university systems?
University of California System Requirements
Students looking to enter the UC system will need to have completed a minimum of 15 college-preparatory courses, also known as A-G courses, with a letter grade of C or better. In addition, they should’ve completed at least 11 of these courses prior to the beginning of their senior year.
These 15 courses include: two years of history, four years of English, one year of visual arts, one year of a college-preparatory elective, at least 3 years of math, at least two years of science and at least two years of a foreign language course.
Students should have earned a 3.0 grade point average or better — or 3.4 if are not a California resident.
There are two pathways of guaranteed acceptance into the UC system for high-achieving students.
Students ranking in the top 9% of California students, according to the updated Statewide Index, will be eligible for the Statewide Guarantee.
The other way is known as the local guarantee. Students who are in the top 9% of their California high school class, at a school that participates in this program, will be eligible for this guarantee. Applications will be automatically screened and for either program students will not be allowed to choose the specific UC school they want.
As California residents, students’ applications will be automatically screened for local eligibility when they apply.
Each UC campus can offer admission to a small number of students who do not meet all of the A-G course requirements or minimum GPA requirements.
The closest UCs to Modesto are UC Merced, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC San Francisco.
The fall 2025 admission application deadline is Dec. 2.
California State University System Requirements
Similarly, students looking to join the CSU system will need to have completed a minimum of 15 college-preparatory courses, also known as A-G courses, with a letter grade of C or better.
California residents will be eligible for admission by earning a 2.50 or greater GPA for while nonresidents will need to earn a 3.0 GPA.
Students who achieve between a 2.00 and 2.49 GPA may be evaluated for admission based upon other factors like household income and extracurricular and leadership involvement.
The closest CSU schools to Modesto are Stanislaus State, Sacramento State, Cal Maritime (in Vallejo), CSU East Bay (in Hayward), Sonoma State, San Francisco State and San Jose State.
The fall 2025 admissions application deadline for CSU is Dec. 2.
