UCLA Engineering Graduate Admission 2027 for International Students: Ranking, GRE, Funding and Deadlines

UCLA engineering graduate admission for international students happens once a year, for fall quarter only, and each UCLA Samueli department sets its own deadline. For fall 2027, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering closes on 1 December 2026, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science on 15 December 2026. International applicants pay $155, cannot get a fee waiver, and need TOEFL 87 or IELTS 7.0 unless exempt. Duolingo is not accepted. GRE rules differ sharply: ECE does not require it for the 2027-28 cycle, while Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering now requires it for both MS and PhD.

Funding splits by degree. Computer Science says its international PhD admits receive funding meant to cover the cost of attendance, but MS students in CS and MAE are not eligible for departmental aid. A nonresident graduate student’s 2026-27 budget is $76,034. Every figure below was checked on UCLA pages on 29 October 2026 unless another source is named.

UCLA engineering ranking

U.S. News released its 2026 Best Graduate Schools rankings on 7 April 2026. In Best Engineering Schools, the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science is tied at No. 14 with Texas A&M. VnExpress International’s top 30 list (9 April 2026) places UCLA directly after Texas A&M at No. 14, with the next numbered entry at No. 16.

UCLA is the second-ranked University of California campus in engineering behind UC Berkeley (No. 3) and UC San Diego (No. 9). Its Los Angeles location puts graduates within reach of a large aerospace, technology and start-up job market.

Departments and graduate programmes

UCLA Samueli runs its MS and PhD programmes through the departments below, and also has an online Master of Science in Engineering (the MSOL programme) for working engineers.

• Bioengineering
• Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Computer Science
• Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Computational Medicine

Applicants use the school’s graduate admissions page and then follow the link to their chosen department’s application. Admission is for fall quarter only; there is no winter or spring intake in the departments checked for this guide.

UCLA engineering graduate admission requirements

The school’s catalogue sets the baseline. For master’s entry you normally need a bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA in your junior and senior years. For PhD entry you normally need an MS with at least a 3.25 GPA and evidence of creative ability, although exceptional students can enter the PhD straight from a bachelor’s degree. Applicants with gaps in their engineering background may be asked to take extra courses that do not count toward the degree.

Department pages add the details:

• Three letters of recommendation (MSE allows two for its Exceptional Student Admission Program). MS applicants should ideally use professors who taught them in their last two years; PhD applicants should use recent academic or professional referees.
• A statement of purpose. ECE caps it at two pages and treats it as your writing sample. A personal statement is optional.
• Transcripts from every university attended.
• TOEFL or IELTS scores unless exempt.
• GRE scores where the department requires or accepts them.
• A $155 application fee for international applicants ($135 for US citizens and permanent residents).

ECE says the most competitive applicants have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.5. MAE reports that recently admitted applicants had a mean GPA of 3.67 and mean GRE percentiles of 79 (Verbal), 92 (Quantitative) and 84 (Analytical Writing).

GRE policy by department

Department	GRE for the fall 2027 (2027-28) cycle
Electrical and Computer Engineering	Not required; scores get no extra weight
Computer Science	Not required in the most recent stated cycle; no extra weight; CS subject test not reviewed
Materials Science and Engineering	Optional for MS; highly encouraged for PhD
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering	Required for MS and PhD
Other departments	Check the department page

Use UCLA institution code 4837 with the department code (ECE 1203, MSE 1403, Mechanical 1502, Aerospace 1601). MAE reminds applicants that the name on the application must match the GRE record exactly.

English requirements

Test	Minimum	Notes
TOEFL iBT (old scale)	87 overall	Department guidance: Writing 25, Speaking 24, Reading 21, Listening 17; one section may fall short if the total is 87 or more
TOEFL iBT (new scale, tests from 21 January 2026)	4.5 overall	Graduate Division minimum quoted by Computer Science
IELTS Academic	7.0 overall
Duolingo English Test	Not accepted	Stated by ECE

Scores must be no more than two years old, and ECE wants the test taken on or before 15 December. Applicants with a degree from a university where English is the language of instruction in an English-speaking country are exempt; ECE checks the language of instruction against the World Higher Education Database. Whether a Nigerian or Ghanaian degree qualifies depends on how the department reads that rule, so email the department before skipping the test. Everyone admitted, with or without a score, may have to sit UCLA’s English as a Second Language Placement Examination (ESLPE) on arrival.

Application fee

The fee is $155 for international applicants and is non-refundable. MSE and MAE both state that international applicants are not eligible for fee waivers. Budget for the full fee for each department you apply to.

Application deadlines for fall 2027

All times are 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Admission is for fall quarter only.

Department	Deadline (MS and PhD)	Notes
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering	1 Dec 2026	Portal open 15 Sep to 1 Dec; decisions by 15 April
Materials Science and Engineering	9 Dec 2026	Decisions late spring
Electrical and Computer Engineering	15 Dec 2026	Late letters accepted until 1 Jan 2027, 5 p.m. PT; decisions by late April
Computer Science	15 Dec 2026	Only fall quarter admission

MSE’s page gave 9 December for the 2026-27 year, so the date shown is the same day one year later (based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens). UCLA does not accept late applications or changes after submission in these departments.

PhD funding at UCLA engineering

UCLA funds PhD students mainly through graduate student researcher (GSR) posts paid from faculty grants, teaching assistantships and fellowships. You do not apply for departmental funding separately.

• Computer Science offers admitted PhD students either a GSR position or a departmental fellowship, and says funding for international PhD admits is meant to meet the anticipated cost of attendance.
• In Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, faculty usually contact admitted PhD students about funding, and funding letters are sent separately from admission letters. Only students selected for funding get one.
• PhD students fill nearly all TA positions in CS and MAE.

UCLA’s departments checked here do not publish a stipend figure. Ask for the monthly amount, the number of years guaranteed and whether nonresident supplemental tuition is covered before you accept.

Fellowships

UCLA’s Graduate Division says its merit-based awards, scholarships and grants are open to all graduate students, and some cover tuition and nonresident supplemental tuition. New doctoral students can also receive Doctoral Student Travel Grants of up to $1,000 for conferences and research travel. Need-based aid, loans and work-study are for US citizens and permanent residents only. See our guide to American scholarships for international students for external options.

MS funding

• Computer Science: MS students are not eligible for departmental support and are not guaranteed TA or GSR posts.
• MAE: MS applicants are not eligible for departmental support. A small number of GSR posts exist and are usually found after enrolment. MS students may find TA work in other departments such as Math or Statistics.
• Proof of funds: CS asks international MS admits to show about $55,000 for the first year; MAE quotes about $51,000. Check your department’s figure when you are admitted.

Tuition and cost of attendance 2026-27

UCLA’s Financial Aid and Scholarships office lists this 2026-27 graduate budget. Tuition and fees are not final until the UC Regents approve them.

Item	2026-27 amount
University fees (UC tuition $15,066 plus campus fees $542)	$15,608
Nonresident supplemental tuition	$15,102
Housing	$18,221
Food	$10,546
Books, supplies and equipment	$2,004
Transportation	$3,819
Personal	$3,219
Health insurance (waivable with equivalent cover)	$7,515
Total for a nonresident	$76,034

Tuition and fees alone come to $30,710 a year for a nonresident, which is low for a top-15 engineering school. Housing is the expensive part of a UCLA degree.

Costs not covered

• Rent deposits in Los Angeles, often a month’s rent or more.
• Summer living costs if you stay in LA for an internship before it pays.
• Visa and SEVIS fees and flights.
• Application fees of $155 per department, with no waiver.
• Test costs, including the GRE if you apply to MAE.

STEM OPT after graduation

Engineering degrees are in CIP family 14, which the Department of Homeland Security includes on its STEM Designated Degree Program list. After an MS or PhD you can work on OPT and apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension with an E-Verify employer. Check the CIP code on your I-20 with the UCLA Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars.

How to contact potential PhD advisers

MAE allows applicants to contact faculty about research fit or funding but warns against mass emails, and says many professors will not reply. Computer Science asks PhD applicants to name a preferred adviser on the application. So the email is worth sending only if it is specific.

1. Choose two or three professors: whose recent papers match your experience.
2. Keep it short: one paragraph on your work, one question about theirs.
3. State your plan: which department you are applying to and for which year.
4. Attach a one-page CV: no transcripts.
5. Do not chase: one follow-up at most. Do not email the department to check whether your documents arrived; MAE says it will email you if something is missing.

A short opening, for illustration only:

“Dear Professor [Name], I am an electrical engineering graduate of [University], [Country], applying to the UCLA ECE PhD for fall 2027. In my final-year project I designed a [circuit or system] and measured [result]. Your group’s recent work on [topic] is the direction I want to take this. Are you planning to recruit PhD students for fall 2027?”

How to write your statement of purpose for UCLA

ECE’s two-page limit is a good rule for every Samueli department. It is your writing sample, so clarity counts.

• Start with your research interest, stated precisely. “Low-power analogue circuits for biomedical implants” beats “electronics”.
• Give most of the space to evidence: projects, internships, publications, competitions. Say what you did yourself.
• Name faculty and explain the fit. MSE also asks PhD applicants to name a research field (such as electronic and optical materials or structural materials), and says the statement matters for funding decisions.
• If your grades dipped, explain it in a sentence.
• Use the optional personal statement for background that shaped you, such as studying through power cuts or strikes, not for repeating the statement of purpose.

Common mistakes international applicants make

• Booking Duolingo: UCLA ECE does not accept it, and the departments checked list only TOEFL and IELTS.
• Missing the MAE GRE change: MAE now requires the GRE for the 2027-28 cycle.
• Working to the wrong deadline: MAE closes on 1 December, not 15 December.
• Converting your CGPA yourself: report grades as your transcript shows them. UCLA’s minimum is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, so if you are unsure how a 5-point Nigerian CGPA maps, ask the department rather than guessing.
• Three-year degrees: check with the department whether your degree is accepted as equivalent to a US bachelor’s.
• Skipping the language-of-instruction check: confirm whether your university qualifies before skipping the English test.
• Expecting MS funding: CS and MAE give none to MS students.

Who should apply

UCLA is a strong choice for PhD applicants in electronics, computer science, aerospace and materials who have research experience and want funding meant to cover Los Angeles costs. It also suits self-funded MS students who want low tuition for a top-15 school and access to Southern California employers, as long as they can carry LA rents.

It is a poor fit if you need a fee waiver, need Duolingo, or want a spring start.

How UCLA compares with nearby-ranked schools

School	U.S. News engineering rank (2026)	GRE	Application fee (international)	Full-time master’s tuition 2026-27
UCLA Samueli	14 (tied)	Varies; required in MAE from the 2027-28 cycle	$155	$15,608 fees plus $15,102 non-resident tuition
Johns Hopkins Whiting	13	Not required school-wide	Master’s free; PhD $75	$68,670
Texas A&M Engineering	14 (tied)	Varies; optional in Mechanical and ECE	$148	$14,641 tuition plus $8,356 fees (9-month estimate)
Northwestern McCormick	16 (tied)	Varies; not required in ECE for fall 2027	$95	$23,662 per quarter

For first-year entry, see our UCLA admission requirements guide.

FAQs

Does UCLA engineering require the GRE for international students?

It depends on the department. ECE does not require it for the 2027-28 cycle, MSE makes it optional for MS and highly encouraged for PhD, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering requires it for both MS and PhD.

What is the UCLA engineering graduate application deadline for fall 2027?

MAE closes on 1 December 2026, MSE on 9 December 2026, and ECE and Computer Science on 15 December 2026, all at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. There is no spring intake.

Can international students get an application fee waiver at UCLA engineering?

No. The fee is $155 for international applicants, and MSE and MAE state that international applicants are not eligible for waivers.

Do UCLA engineering MS students get funding?

Generally no. Computer Science and MAE say MS students are not eligible for departmental support, and international MS admits must show roughly $51,000 to $55,000 for the first year.

Sources and updates

Checked on 29 October 2026. Rank: U.S. News 2026 Best Engineering Schools (released 7 April 2026), as reported by VnExpress International on 9 April 2026. Admission baseline: UCLA Samueli 2025-26 catalogue graduate admission section. Deadlines, GRE, English, letters, statement and funding: UCLA ECE graduate application requirements, UCLA Computer Science graduate admission FAQ, UCLA MSE graduate admissions and UCLA MAE graduate admissions pages. Fellowships: UCLA Graduate Division funding for entering students. Cost of attendance: UCLA Financial Aid and Scholarships graduate cost of attendance for 2026-27. STEM OPT: the Department of Homeland Security STEM OPT Hub. Computer Science last published admissions figures for fall 2022 (about 3,200 MS applicants with 140 admitted, and 906 PhD applicants with 47 admitted), but its own page gives a conflicting MS count, so they are left out of the main text. This guide will be updated if dates or fees change.