Is Arizona State University or UC Irvine harder to get into?

UC Irvine is harder to get into overall. It is one of the more selective campuses in the UC system, draws a very large applicant pool, and reviews students in a broad academic context using the UC application process. Arizona State is much more accessible by comparison and is known for having a wider admissions range across many majors and campuses.

For a student building a realistic college list, UC Irvine usually belongs in a more competitive category. Strong grades in rigorous courses matter a lot there, and some programs can be especially difficult because interest is so high. Even very solid students often treat Irvine as a school that is not guaranteed.

Arizona State fits students looking for a large public university with more flexible admission pathways. It still expects college-ready academics, but it is far less difficult to enter than UC Irvine for most applicants. In practice, many students who would see UC Irvine as a reach or target would see ASU as much more attainable.

One important nuance is major choice. At both schools, certain majors can be tougher than others, especially in popular areas like engineering, business, or computer science. But if the question is simply which university is generally considered harder to get into, the answer is UC Irvine.