UCLA vs UCI: Cost Comparison
For 2026-2027, a California resident living on campus pays $45,500 per year at UCLA and $46,007 at UCI. That makes UCLA about $507 cheaper per year, or $2,028 over four years, before any financial aid is applied.
UCLA total cost
$45,500
UCI total cost
$46,007
4-year difference
$2,028
Cost breakdown (2026-2027)
| Cost | UCLA | UCI | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident tuition & fees | $16,430 | $20,077 | $3,647 |
| Non-resident tuition & fees | $55,700 | $59,347 | $3,647 |
| Housing & food | $19,867 | $20,926 | $1,059 |
| Total cost of attendance | $45,500 | $46,007 | $507 |
Totals are each school's own published cost of attendance for a California resident living on campus, covering 2026-27. Schools budget these differently — UCI includes student health insurance in its total, as UCLA does, so compare line items rather than headline totals alone.
Four-year cost
Most families care about the degree, not the year. At today's published rates, four years at UCLA runs about $182,000 versus $184,028 at UCI — a gap of $2,028 in UCLA's favor. Both figures understate the real total, because tuition and housing typically rise each year; treat them as a floor, not a forecast.
Beyond cost
Price is one input. These are the differences that tend to matter just as much once the offers are in hand.
The closest cost match to UCLA
UCI's published on-campus resident total is $46,007 against UCLA's $45,500 — a difference of about $507 a year, which is effectively a rounding error in a college decision.
Orange County, on the same quarter calendar
Founded in 1965 in Irvine, UCI runs the same Fall/Winter/Spring quarters as UCLA, so course pacing, internship timing, and transfer rhythms line up.
Fees are bundled differently
UCI folds mandatory health insurance into its campus fees line, while UCLA and the other UCs list it separately. Comparing UCI's fee figure directly against UCLA's overstates UCI by roughly the insurance premium.
Financial aid
UCI offers the same Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan as UCLA, covering UC systemwide tuition for most California families earning up to $100,000. Because the two campuses' total costs are within about $500 of each other, aid outcomes here are driven almost entirely by individual need rather than by any difference in published price.
How UCLA financial aid worksThe verdict
On cost, this comparison is a tie. About $507 a year separates them, which is less than the variation between two housing choices on either campus. Anyone deciding between UCI and UCLA on price is optimizing noise.
So decide on everything else. UCI is markedly easier to get into, at 28.9%, and it is strong in computer science, engineering, and the health sciences. Orange County is quieter and more suburban than Westwood; whether that is a feature depends entirely on the student. The shared quarter system means transferring credits or coordinating internships between them is unusually painless.
One caution when comparing the published numbers yourself: UCI bundles mandatory health insurance inside its campus fees while UCLA lists it as a separate line. A quick fee-to-fee comparison makes UCI look several thousand dollars more expensive than it is. Compare the bottom-line totals, which are built on the same basis, rather than the component rows.
Estimate your UCLA cost
Published totals assume an average student. Adjust housing, meal plan, and personal spending to see what UCLA would actually cost you.
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Sources
Cost figures for UCI come from the following published sources.