UCSD REHS Acceptance Rate 2026
Updated: 2nd November, 2026
TL;DR
UC San Diego doesn't publish an acceptance rate for REHS, the Research Experience for High School Students run by the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC). The best official clue is from 2014, when 60 students enrolled from more than 200 applications, an estimated rate under 30%. You must live in Southern California, be 16 by June 15 and hold a 3.0 unweighted GPA. If you live elsewhere or want a topic beyond computing, look at the Lumiere Research Scholar Program. It pairs you 1-on-1 with a researcher from a top university for an online project.
What are the key REHS numbers?
The one number you can't find is the one most people search for: an official acceptance rate. The table below shows what SDSC has shared, with the year and source for each figure (as of November 2026).
Figure | Value | Year | Source |
Official acceptance rate | Not published | 2026 | |
Estimated acceptance rate | Under 30% (estimated, 60 enrolled from 200+ applications) | 2014 | |
New students in the cohort | 45 | 2025 | |
Students served since launch | 774 students from 77 high schools | 17 years through 2026 | |
Mentors signed on | About 10 | 2026 | |
Application window | Feb 15 to Mar 15 | 2026 | |
Registration fee | $2,000 (application is free, scholarships available) | 2026 |
Does UCSD publish an REHS acceptance rate?
No. As of November 2026, neither the REHS program page nor the application page gives applicant or admit counts. Any exact percentage you see online for 2026 is a guess, not an official figure.
One quick note if you are searching. "REHS" is also a California license for environmental health workers. So many search results have nothing to do with this program. The high school program sits at SDSC. SDSC is part of the UC San Diego School of Computing, Information and Data Sciences, per SDSC's February 2026 announcement (as of November 2026).
For projects, mentors and daily life, read our honest review of REHS at UCSD. The rate matters less than you might think, since mentors pick their own students.
How many students get into REHS each year?
Cohorts have ranged from 45 to 60 students in the years SDSC has reported. SDSC said it was starting summer 2025 with 45 new students (as of November 2026). It did not give an applicant count for that year.
The only year with both numbers is 2014. SDSC reported that 60 students enrolled from more than 200 applications (as of November 2026). That works out to an estimated rate under 30% for 2014. Treat that figure as history, since the applicant pool and the number of mentors have both changed since then.
The long view backs up the small size. The program page counts 774 students from 77 high schools over 17 years. For 2026, the application page says about 10 mentors signed on. Students work in pairs or small groups under each mentor, so the seats are few.
Who is eligible for REHS in 2026?
REHS is open only to Southern California students in grades 10 to 12. You also need to clear an age and GPA floor. Here is what the official REHS page lists for 2026 (as of November 2026):
Location: Southern California residents at a public, private or home school in the region.
Grade: 10, 11 or 12.
Age: at least 16 on or before June 15 of the application year, with no exceptions.
GPA: at least a 3.0 cumulative, non-weighted, and college bound.
Classes: a year of high school chemistry or biology is recommended, not required.
Poster: you must finish a final poster and attend the poster event. If you can't, the page says not to apply.
These rules cut the pool before anyone reads an essay, which is one reason the program stays local and small. A sophomore who turns 16 in July, for example, would have to wait a year.
What do REHS mentors look for in an application?
Mentors choose their own students, so your job is to show one mentor you fit their project. The application page says the REHS coordinators are not part of selection (as of November 2026). The program page adds that mentors review applications and interview applicants.
You can apply to up to two projects. Your file includes a cover letter to your first-choice mentor and a resume. You also send an essay on why you want to join, plus your unweighted GPA. Write the cover letter to one real person about one real project, because that person decides.
The application page also lists mistakes to skip. Here they are as a checklist:
Parent-written essay: don't let a parent write your essay.
Reused essay: don't reuse an essay from school.
Slang and typos: don't use slang, and check your spelling.
Grade drops: explain any drop in grades instead of hoping no one notices.
Titles: use "Dr." only if your mentor holds a doctorate.
Questions: contact the REHS coordinators with questions, not the mentors.
Read the project list closely before you write. A student who has used Python to sort data for a science fair has a concrete story for a data-heavy project. That story beats a general line about loving science.
When is the REHS deadline, and is 2027 open yet?
As of November 2026, SDSC has not posted dates for the 2027 cycle. The REHS page shows the application as closed. For the 2026 cycle, the application page listed these dates (as of November 2026):
Application opened: February 15, 2026.
Deadline: March 15, 2026.
Decisions: early May 2026.
Registration: due by the end of May 2026.
Program: June 8 to July 31, 2026, ending with the poster event on July 31.
The window is only one month long, so have your resume and a draft essay ready before it opens. Check the official page in early 2027 for the new dates.
How much does REHS cost, and is it paid?
REHS is an unpaid volunteer program with a $2,000 registration fee in 2026. The program page says the application is free (as of November 2026). Full and partial scholarships are available based on need and funding. It does not mention a stipend.
The time cost is real too. The page lists 10 to 20 hours a week, with most projects at 15 to 20, for 8 weeks. For students who need a ride, the program provides an MTS Compass transit card. Budget for the hours as carefully as the fee, because a summer job and REHS may not fit together.
What are the pros and cons of REHS?
Pros -
The application is free, and full or partial scholarships can cover the $2,000 registration fee based on need and funding.
You work on a running research project with a mentor and finish with a poster you present.
You set your schedule with your mentor and teammates within the 10 to 20 hours a week.
Students who need a ride to the UCSD campus get an MTS Compass transit card.
Cons -
Only Southern California residents can apply, and you must be 16 by June 15 with no exceptions.
You need a 3.0 cumulative unweighted GPA before a mentor reads your essay.
The program is unpaid and charges a $2,000 registration fee, so scholarships matter for many families.
With about 10 mentors and a one-month application window, spots are limited and the timing is tight.
What are good options if REHS doesn't work out?
Plenty of strong research programs take students REHS can't, including younger students and those outside Southern California. Our list of computer science research programs for high school students compares options by deadline and format.
Want another UC program? Read our guides to COSMOS (it runs at UC San Diego and five other UC campuses) and the UCSB Research Mentorship Program. Both are selective, so apply to more than one.
Online mentored research is another path, and it has no residency rule. No serious program can promise you a publication, so pick one by its mentors, format and timeline.
Frequently asked questions: REHS UCSD acceptance rate for high school students
What does REHS stand for at UCSD?
REHS stands for Research Experience for High School Students. It is an 8-week summer volunteer internship at the San Diego Supercomputer Center. Students join a running research project and finish with a poster, per the official page (as of November 2026).
Is the REHS program prestigious?
It carries real weight locally because it is small and run by a major research center. SDSC's 2018 alumni survey of 154 alumni found just under 66% of those in college chose computer science and engineering (as of November 2026). Colleges will care most about what you built and how you explain it.
What topics does REHS cover?
Projects center on computing, from high performance computing to data-driven research, per SDSC's 2026 announcement (as of November 2026). Each mentor runs their own project, so read the current project list before you apply. If your question lives outside computing, say in psychology or economics, you'll need to look at other programs.
What does a typical week in REHS look like?
Expect 10 to 20 hours of project work a week. Most of it happens with a partner or small group and your mentor's team. The program page also lists lunchtime research talks every two weeks (as of November 2026). The last stretch goes into building the poster you present at the closing event.
Can you do REHS if you live outside Southern California?
No. The program page says you must be a Southern California resident. You also need to attend a public, private or home school in the region. If you live elsewhere, look at online or local programs near you instead.
Do you need coding experience for REHS?
The program page doesn't set one coding requirement for everyone. It says project prerequisites vary, and it recommends a year of high school chemistry or biology. Read each project description before you pick your two choices. Then show in your cover letter how your own skills match that project.
Live outside Southern California, or want a research project that doesn't depend on a one-month application window? Look at the Lumiere Research Scholar Program. It pairs you 1-on-1 with a researcher from a top university for an independent project, done online, in subjects from biology to economics. Apply here. If cost is the main barrier, also look at the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students.
Stephen Turban is the co-founder of Lumiere Education and a graduate of Harvard College, where he earned an A.B. in Statistics before beginning a PhD at Harvard Business School. A former McKinsey & Company consultant and former researcher, his research has been covered by the Harvard Business Review, The Economist, BBC News, Freakonomics Radio, and the Washington Post. In his articles for Forbes, he writes on what students and professionals can learn from high school research, high school passion projects, critical thinking, and mentorship. At Lumiere, he leads a selective research program where students work one-on-one with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper. Connect with him on LinkedIn.