UCLA Samueli Welcomes More Than 1,100 New Engineering and Computer Science Students at Fall 2025 Orientations

The UCLA Samueli School of Engineering kicked off the 2025-26 academic year with two daylong welcome events in the Court of Sciences. Nearly 400 new master’s and doctoral students participated in the graduate orientation Sept. 23, and more than 700 freshmen and transfer students attended the undergraduate Engineering Welcome Day Sept. 24.

“We are pushing the envelope of science and engineering — really making a difference in how society evolves, how we talk to each other, how we learn from each other.” said Dean Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park.

While official enrollment numbers for fall 2025 will not be available until after the third week, the school admitted and enrolled 10% more undergraduate first-year and transfer students this year as part of its expansion — increasing the total from about 1,000 to 1,100 students. The school remains highly competitive, with an average freshman admit rate of 7% from more than 32,000 applicants. More than 850 new master’s and doctoral students have also enrolled this fall, comparable to last year.

Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park, the Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean of UCLA Samueli, welcomed the new cohorts and emphasized the role of engineers and computer scientists as problem-solvers.

“Not only are we looking for graduate students who did amazingly well in their classes, we are looking for someone with a vision and ambition to make a huge change in society and people’s lives,” Park said. “We are pushing the envelope of science and engineering — really making a difference in how society evolves, how we talk to each other, how we learn from each other.”

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She also noted two milestones for UCLA Engineering this fall: the school’s 80th year since founding and the 25th anniversary of its renaming as the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, in recognition of the triple alumnus and Broadcom co-founder’s generous support.

The graduate orientation was hosted by the Office of Academic and Student Affairs (OASA) with support from the Engineering Graduate Student Association (EGSA). Associate Dean for Research and Physical Resources Robert Candler outlined the school’s laboratory resources and safety protocols. Other speakers included representatives from the UCLA Resilience in Your Student Experience Center, the UCLA Career Center, the Graduate Resource Center, the Graduate Writing Center, the Science and Engineering Library, the Graduate Society of Women Engineers and EGSA.

In the afternoon, new graduate students attended departmental sessions with their respective chairs and faculty.

Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs Richard Wesel, who spoke at both the undergraduate and graduate events, encouraged the new Bruin engineers to embrace the school’s collaborative culture.

“We have a thriving ecosystem of student organizations, but it didn’t happen by accident,” he told the undergraduates. “There are upperclassmen who are willing to teach you what you need to know, and next year that needs to be you!”

The undergraduate Engineering Welcome Day was organized by the Engineering Society at UCLA (ESUC) — the school’s student-led umbrella organization — and OASA. ESUC president Jerard Agravante, a fourth-year electrical engineering student, called on students to seize every opportunity.

“Talk to the person next to you, ask your mentor questions and get to know them,” Agravante said. “I hope you make the most of your stay here at UCLA. The time really does fly, so you should too.”

Other speakers include UCLA Samueli Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Faculty Affairs Veronica Santos.

Following the presentations, the new undergraduate students visited dozens of student-group booths at the Engineering Exploration Fair to learn about the clubs’ latest projects and sign up to join. The students also met with their assigned upper-division MentorSEAS mentors, joined a scavenger hunt and toured the engineering buildings led by Engineering Ambassadors.

Kelsey Dignan, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student and a project manager with the Design Build Fly at UCLA, urged the new students to take part in projects.

“I highly recommend that all incoming students get involved in a technical project,” Dignan said. “It’s just a really great way to build up your technical skills, both for building your résumé, but also for personal growth. Anything you do with hands-on experience will be really beneficial for you as an engineer.”