Hi, this is my first post. I have heard that for transfering to a UC campus that you must not go over a certain amount of units. However, I believe at community college you can never have too many units, and any over the cap will just be counted as subject credit. But what if you are transfering from another 4 year college, like a Cal-state? I have heard from many online that you can risk taking too many units and be denied admission for transfer. However, I also read somewhere that as long as you’re ONLY taking undergraduate level courses at a 4 year, then you can’t have too many units for transfer, like if you were transfering from a community college. Does anyone know if this is true?
If you are transferring from another 4 year and if you are taking any upper division courses, these units will be added to the maximum units of 70 semester/105 quarter units to determine if you are a high unit transfer. If the units are all lower division then the 70 unit max will stand and you will get subject credit for the rest.
Below are the UC unit maximums:
Berkeley: 90 semester/135 quarter units or more
Accepts some High Unit Juniors and Seniors
Davis: 80 semester/120 quarter units or more; Dean’s Review required
Accepts some High Unit Juniors and Seniors
Irvine: 90 semester/135 quarter units or more
Accepts some High Unit Juniors and Seniors
Los Angeles: 86.5 semester/130 quarter units or more
Accepts NO High Unit Juniors or Seniors
Merced: 80 semester/120 quarter units or more; Dean’s Review required
Accepts some High Unit Juniors and Seniors
Riverside: 90 semester/135 quarter units or more; Dean’s Review required
Accepts some High Unit Juniors and Seniors
San Diego: 90 semester/135 quarter units or more
Accepts some High Unit Juniors
Santa Barbara: 90 semester/135 quarter units or more
*College of Creative Studies will consider seniors on a case-by-case basis
Accepts High Unit Juniors
Santa Cruz: 90 semester/135 quarter units or more
Accepts High Unit Juniors
Appreciate the response, and thanks for listing the caps for all of the individual UCs, that was more than I could ask for. So just to clarify, if I am at a four year and had, for example 100 transferable units, but they were all from an undergraduate level, then I’m still elligible for transfer and any over 70 will just be subject credit?
If they are all lower division, then yes 70 units would be transferable and the rest would get subject credit.
Undergraduate credit can be lower and upper division. If they are upper division, usually 300 level or higher by course code, then they would be added to the 70 unit cap.
At four year colleges where undergraduate level courses are numbered 1xx, 2xx, 3xx, 4xx, the lower division ones typically have 1xx, 2xx course numbers.
At some colleges, undergraduate level courses are numbered 1-99 for lower division and 100-199 for upper division.
Other variations of course numbering are possible.
Lower division courses are those typically taken by frosh/soph students or others who have taken no or few college courses in the subject. Upper division courses are more advanced level courses for (usually junior/senior) students who typically have taken prior courses in the subject.
@Gumbymom Hi! Very late to this so not sure if anyone has been active on this forum but I do have a question. I am planning to do a UC to UC transfer as well from UCR to either UCI or UCLA as a biochemistry major. I am a freshman at UCR right now and planning to transfer by Fall 2022. I made a 2 year plan and I will have 109 units completed at UCR by the end of spring 2022. The 109 units also includes a 4 unit upper division math course. So basically here are my units broken down below:
-105 units = earned from ALL lower division major prep courses + GE courses
-4 units = earned from an upper division math course at UCR
SUB-TOTAL = 109 units earned from UCR
-24 AP units earned from AP exams
GRAND TOTAL = 133 units
Will this put me at risk for denied admission? I know UCLA doesn’t count AP units towards the unit limitation for transfer applicants but not sure if UCI does. Appreciate your responses. Thank you!
None of the UC’s will consider AP units toward the unit limitation.
Here is the breakdown for all the campuses:
UC maximum unit caps:
Berkeley: 90 semester/135 quarter units or more
Accepts some High Unit Juniors and Seniors
Davis: 80 semester/120 quarter units or more; Dean’s Review required
Accepts some High Unit Juniors and Seniors
Irvine: 90 semester/135 quarter units or more
Accepts some High Unit Juniors and Seniors
Los Angeles: 86.5 semester/130 quarter units or more
Accepts NO High Unit Juniors or Seniors
Merced: 80 semester/120 quarter units or more; Dean’s Review required
Accepts some High Unit Juniors and Seniors
Riverside: 90 semester/135 quarter units or more; Dean’s Review required
Accepts some High Unit Juniors and Seniors
San Diego: 90 semester/135 quarter units or more
Accepts some High Unit Juniors
Santa Barbara: 90 semester/135 quarter units or more
*College of Creative Studies will consider seniors on a case-by-case basis
Accepts High Unit Juniors
Santa Cruz: 90 semester/135 quarter units or more
Accepts High Unit Juniors
@Gumbymom Additionally, isn’t the maximum unit cap for UC to UC transfers for UCI 105 quarter units? Where did you find these maximum unit cap for each UC?
Also, do AP units transfer when you’re transferring from one UC to another UC? Because I was speaking with a UCI admissions counselor earlier and they said that AP units and any undergraduate coursework (regardless if it’s upper or lower division) will transfer over.
From the UC Application Guide:
LIMITS ON TRANSFER CREDIT
Students will be granted up to 70 semester (105 quarter) units for freshman/sophomore coursework completed at any institution or combination of institutions; this limitation does not apply to units earned at a UC. Subject credit will be granted for appropriate coursework taken in excess of this unit limitation and may be used to meet subject requirements.
@Gumbymom I see. So basically, I will be receiving 105 quarter units and for the remaining 28 quarter units out of 133 quarter units I have, I will be receiving credit for appropriate coursework if applicable?
@samkr14: According to the Application guide, since you will have UC credits, then the 105 quarter credit limit does not apply and you may have all credits/units transfer or some with subject credit. I would check with UCI or any other UC you plan to apply for verification.
@Gumbymom I have 24 AP units from high school AP exams that got transferred to UCR so in addition to the 109 units I plan to have completed at UCR, I will have a grand total of 133 units completed. I checked with UCI but they are saying that I will be at risk of denied admission because I have over 105 quarter units. I am not sure if they are mistaking me as a community college student or a UC to UC transfer but I clarified that to them that I am a UC to UC transfer. However, UCLA is saying that AP units won’t be considered in the unit limitation for transfer applicants. But then according to application guide, I shouldn’t be denied admission because I have UC credits so the unit limitation doesn’t apply. I am super confused and I am not sure what to believe at this point. 
I think safe bet is to go with the transfer application guide. According to that, since I have UC credits, the 105 unit limitation does not apply to me. However, I am just wondering if AP courses are considered as “UC credits”?
You probably need to contact UCI again, since according to the UC guide, you should be fine even with the AP units.
Check pages 34-37 https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/quick-reference.pdf
@Gumbymom, Also what does this mean?:
“Units earned at any UC campus (extension, summer, cross/concurrent and regular academic year enrollment) are not included in the limitation but are added to the maximum transfer credit allowed and may put applicants at risk of being denied admission due to excessive units.”
Also, if you took a college course that covers similar material that an AP exam represents, you only get credit once. For example, if you have AP calculus AB credit but took calculus 1 in college, you only get credit once at UC.
@Gumbymom & @ucbalumnus ok so to sum it all up, transferable units earned from AP exams are not counted towards the unit limitation for all UCs am I correct?
@samkr14: The above statement is for CCC transfers that have also taken UC courses.
I also found this statement so UCI may have their own limitations based on major/program.
** Some campuses and programs do not offer admission to students who have accumulated a combination of lower-division and upper-division (and/or UC) units beyond 80 semester (120 quarter) units. For more information about campus limitations, see the chart on page 34.**
Again, I would contact UCI, get clarification before you proceed with your planned classes.
@Gumbymom yes but according to the chart on page 34, it seems UCI does accept some junior/senior level applicants. I think that depends on extenuating circumstances I guess. My main target is UCLA and they said that AP credits don’t count towards the unit limitation. However, I think UCI does because it seems to be different for every UC. I will check with them once again but I think UCI counts AP units in the unit limitation.
@Gumbymom According to this college confidential forum below, there are 2 different responses:
@Samkr14: Sorry, I cannot be more help but the bolded statement I posted seems to indicate that each UC can decide on their unit limitation based on program/major so it is up to the discretion of each campus. I agree very confusing but I always say go the source for the most up to date information.
Edited: Well the source does not seem too reliable either.
Best of luck.