Is the University of Michigan or UCLA more selective for undergraduate admissions?

UCLA is generally considered more selective overall for undergraduate admissions.

One key difference is volume and pressure in the applicant pool. UCLA receives one of the largest numbers of undergraduate applications in the country, which makes admission intensely competitive even for very strong students.

Another differentiator is residency. Michigan is selective for everyone, but it is notably harder for out-of-state students than for Michigan residents because the university prioritizes in-state enrollment. UCLA also gives preference to California residents, yet even in-state admission there is widely seen as exceptionally tough because so many high-achieving California students apply.

The academic profile and application process also push UCLA slightly higher in perceived selectivity. UCLA evaluates students in a very competitive UC context, where course rigor, grades, and the UC personal insight questions carry a lot of weight. Michigan uses a broad holistic process too, but in common college admissions conversations, UCLA is usually placed a notch above Michigan in overall undergraduate selectivity.

So for list-building purposes, it makes sense to treat both as highly selective, with UCLA the tougher admit overall and Michigan still very difficult, especially if you are applying from out of state.