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The real 4-year cost of University of California-Irvine in California
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at University of California-Irvine went from $8,046 to $16,605, an average of 2.1% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $16,6052026-27 UC systemwide undergraduate tuition, entering (AY 2026-27) cohort: $14,202 resident; nonresident adds $39,270 supplemental tuition. Student Services Fee and campus-based fees carried forward from IPEDS.source
Read with care: this school's history shows a tuition freeze or guarantee, so a smooth projection may not hold.
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $8,046 | – | – |
| 2009 | $9,363 | – | – |
| 2010 | $11,232 | – | – |
| 2011 | $13,122 | – | – |
| 2012 | $13,122 | – | – |
| 2013 | $13,149 | – | – |
| 2014 | $13,179 | – | – |
| 2015 | $13,252 | – | – |
| 2016 | $13,360 | – | – |
| 2017 | $13,738 | – | – |
| 2018 | $13,700 | – | – |
| 2019 | $13,727 | – | – |
| 2020 | $13,753 | – | – |
| 2021 | $13,775 | – | – |
| 2022 | $13,939 | – | – |
| 2023 | $14,237 | – | – |
| 2026 | $16,605 | $16,605 | – |
| 2027 | – | $16,949 | $15,839–$18,059 |
| 2028 | – | $17,300 | $15,109–$19,640 |
| 2029 | – | $17,659 | $14,412–$21,360 |
| 2030 | – | $18,025 | $13,747–$23,230 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $16,605 |
| Year 2 | $16,949 |
| Year 3 | $17,300 |
| Year 4 | $17,659 |
| 4-year total | $68,513 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $28,513
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $39,214
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Latest (2023)
- $18,423/ yr
- rising 4.3% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $89,073
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here has kept rising even while tuition was frozen; the creep moved to room & board.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at University of California-Irvine4-year schools with similar prices in California
Closest to University of California-Irvine by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia$16,606
- University of California-Merced$16,535
- University of California-Riverside$16,745
- Antioch University-Los Angeles$16,350
- Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad West Coast Talmudical Seminary$16,900
- University of California-Los Angeles$16,115
- Oak Valley College$16,100
- University of California-Santa Cruz$17,232
Use this data
Published figures for University of California-Irvine from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.