UCLA Important Dates 2026 to 27 for Parents
UCLA's 2026 to 27 year runs on quarters, from fall classes on Sept 24 to spring finals ending June 11, 2027. Thanksgiving is only two days, the gap between fall and winter quarters starts after Dec 11, and commencement is planned for June 11 to 13, with dates that may change.
Always double check the official calendar
Schools sometimes change dates. University of California, Los Angeles academic calendar.
Booking tip
UCLA Family Weekend is Oct 30 to 31, 2026. Hotels near campus fill early, so book as soon as you know you're coming.
- Royal Palace Westwood Hotel: Listed on the Bruin Family Weekend 2026 accommodations page.
- Palihotel Westwood Village: Listed on the Bruin Family Weekend 2026 accommodations page; its booking link applies promo code UCLAFAM.
- Kimpton Hotel Palomar Los Angeles Beverly Hills: Listed on the Bruin Family Weekend 2026 accommodations page with an IHG booking link.
Move in & orientation
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Fall 2026 contract start, University Apartments (undergraduate)University Apartments (undergraduate)Housing's room sign up page says fall quarter contracts for undergraduate University Apartments start Sunday, Sept 13, 2026, and that apartment contracts run two weeks longer than on campus housing contracts.Add to calendar: Fall 2026 contract start, University Apartments (undergraduate)Source: Room Sign Up for Returning Residents | Housing | Sun, Sep 13, 2026 |
| Fall 2026 move in, on campus housingOn campus housing (the Hill)Housing lists fall move in from Wednesday, Sept 16 to Saturday, Sept 19, 2026, with each student's assigned date and time posted in the housing portal in late August. The meal plan starts with dinner on Sunday, Sept 20. Housing's returning resident page lists on campus housing contracts as starting Sunday, Sept 20, so returning students should go by their own assigned date.Add to calendar: Fall 2026 move in, on campus housingSource: Moving into On-Campus Housing | Housing | Wed, Sep 16 to Sat, Sep 19, 2026 |
Classes & breaks
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Fall quarter instruction beginsFall instruction begins Thursday, Sept 24, 2026. The study list deadline is Friday, Oct 9.Add to calendar: Fall quarter instruction beginsSource: Annual Academic Calendar | Registrar's Office | Thu, Sep 24, 2026 |
| Thanksgiving holidayThe holiday is Thursday and Friday, Nov 26 to 27. Fall instruction continues the following week and ends Friday, Dec 4, with finals right after, so the trip home at Thanksgiving is short and the longer break comes in mid December.Add to calendar: Thanksgiving holidaySource: Annual Academic Calendar | Registrar's Office | Thu, Nov 26 to Fri, Nov 27, 2026 |
| Fall quarter instruction endsLast day of fall instruction is Friday, Dec 4, 2026.Add to calendar: Fall quarter instruction endsSource: Annual Academic Calendar | Registrar's Office | Fri, Dec 4, 2026 |
| Winter break between fall and winter quartersThese are the days between the end of fall quarter (Friday, Dec 11) and the start of winter quarter instruction (Monday, Jan 4, 2027) on the registrar's calendar. The registrar also lists a winter campus closure, marked tentative, from Dec 24 to Jan 1.Add to calendar: Winter break between fall and winter quartersSource: Registrar's Office Term Calendar 2026-27 | Sat, Dec 12, 2026 to Sun, Jan 3, 2027 |
| Winter quarter instruction beginsWinter quarter and instruction both begin Monday, Jan 4, 2027.Add to calendar: Winter quarter instruction beginsSource: Annual Academic Calendar | Registrar's Office | Mon, Jan 4, 2027 |
| Winter quarter instruction endsLast day of winter instruction is Friday, March 12, 2027.Add to calendar: Winter quarter instruction endsSource: Annual Academic Calendar | Registrar's Office | Fri, Mar 12, 2027 |
| Spring break between winter and spring quartersUCLA's calendar does not use the words spring break. These are the days with no classes between the end of winter quarter (Friday, March 19) and the start of spring instruction (Monday, March 29). Spring quarter officially begins Wednesday, March 24, and Friday, March 26 is the Farmworkers Day holiday.Add to calendar: Spring break between winter and spring quartersSource: Annual Academic Calendar | Registrar's Office | Sat, Mar 20 to Sun, Mar 28, 2027 |
| Spring quarter instruction beginsSpring instruction begins Monday, March 29, 2027.Add to calendar: Spring quarter instruction beginsSource: Annual Academic Calendar | Registrar's Office | Mon, Mar 29, 2027 |
| Spring quarter instruction endsLast day of spring instruction is Friday, June 4, 2027.Add to calendar: Spring quarter instruction endsSource: Annual Academic Calendar | Registrar's Office | Fri, Jun 4, 2027 |
Finals
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Fall quarter final examsCommon final exams are Saturday and Sunday, Dec 5 to 6, and regular finals run Monday, Dec 7 to Friday, Dec 11. Fall quarter ends Dec 11. Check your student's exam schedule before booking a flight home.Add to calendar: Fall quarter final examsSource: Annual Academic Calendar | Registrar's Office | Sat, Dec 5 to Fri, Dec 11, 2026 |
| Winter quarter final examsCommon finals Saturday and Sunday, March 13 to 14; regular finals Monday, March 15 to Friday, March 19. Winter quarter ends March 19.Add to calendar: Winter quarter final examsSource: Annual Academic Calendar | Registrar's Office | Sat, Mar 13 to Fri, Mar 19, 2027 |
| Spring quarter final examsCommon finals Saturday and Sunday, June 5 to 6; regular finals Monday, June 7 to Friday, June 11. Spring quarter ends June 11.Add to calendar: Spring quarter final examsSource: Annual Academic Calendar | Registrar's Office | Sat, Jun 5 to Fri, Jun 11, 2027 |
Family weekend & homecoming
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Bruin Family Weekend 2026Two days on campus with faculty presentations, lunch with your student's dean, family workshops and campus activities. Saturday includes UCLA vs. Nevada football (time to be announced). Registration is required and closes Oct 13 at 5:00 p.m. PDT; parking, football tickets and some other events are not included in the fee.Add to calendar: Bruin Family Weekend 2026Source: UCLA Bruin Family Weekend 2026 | Fri, Oct 30 to Sat, Oct 31, 2026 |
Move out
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Spring 2027 move out, on campus housingOn campus housing (the Hill)Housing's room sign up page lists June 11, 2027 as the end of on campus housing contracts for 2026 to 27. For the June 2026 move out, Housing encouraged residents to leave by noon to avoid commencement traffic and required them to be fully out by 10:00 p.m. unless they had an approved late departure; watch for the 2027 version of that notice.Add to calendar: Spring 2027 move out, on campus housingSource: Room Sign Up for Returning Residents | Housing | Fri, Jun 11, 2027 |
| Spring 2027 move out, University Apartments (undergraduate)University Apartments (undergraduate)Housing lists June 18, 2027 as the contract end date for undergraduate University Apartments.Add to calendar: Spring 2027 move out, University Apartments (undergraduate)Source: Room Sign Up for Returning Residents | Housing | Fri, Jun 18, 2027 |
Commencement
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Commencement 2027 (ceremonies by college and school)TentativeThe registrar lists commencement by college and school from Friday, June 11 to Sunday, June 13, 2027. The College's commencement site notes these dates are based on the academic calendar and may change. Check the commencement site for individual ceremony times and venues.Add to calendar: Commencement 2027 (ceremonies by college and school)Source: Registrar's Office Term Calendar 2026-27 | Fri, Jun 11 to Sun, Jun 13, 2027 |
Other dates
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Fall quarter begins (Week 0)The registrar lists Monday, Sept 21 as the start of fall quarter. Classes themselves start three days later.Add to calendar: Fall quarter begins (Week 0)Source: Registrar's Office Term Calendar 2026-27 | Mon, Sep 21, 2026 |
| Veterans Day holiday (no classes)Wednesday, Nov 11 is a university holiday on the registrar's calendar.Add to calendar: Veterans Day holiday (no classes)Source: Annual Academic Calendar | Registrar's Office | Wed, Nov 11, 2026 |
How UCLA's year is built
The Registrar's Office publishes the annual academic calendar. Each quarter follows the same rhythm: roughly ten weeks of instruction, a Saturday and Sunday of common final exams, then a Monday to Friday finals week. The registrar's term calendar labels the opening days of the quarter Week 0. In fall 2026 the quarter began Monday, Sept 21 and classes started Thursday, Sept 24.
Fall 2026: a short Thanksgiving and a December finish
The Thanksgiving holiday is Thursday and Friday, Nov 26 to 27. There is no full week off. Classes resume Monday, Nov 30, fall instruction ends Friday, Dec 4, common finals fall on Dec 5 to 6, and regular finals run Dec 7 to 11.
That leaves families with two calls to make. First, whether a four day Thanksgiving trip is worth the airfare with finals less than two weeks out. Second, when to book the December flight home. Wait until your student has their own exam schedule, because a final on Friday, Dec 11 is entirely possible.
Wednesday, Nov 11 (Veterans Day) is also a campus holiday.
Winter break
UCLA's calendar does not name a winter break. What families call winter break is simply the gap between terms: fall quarter ends Friday, Dec 11, and winter quarter instruction begins Monday, Jan 4, 2027. That gives about three weeks at home. The registrar's term calendar also shows a winter campus closure from Dec 24 to Jan 1, marked tentative.
If your student hopes to stay in Los Angeles over the break, talk with Housing early. Residential Life's stay through page for the 2025 break covered approved stay through residents only and listed limited dining hours, so expect to need approval and check this year's rules.
Winter and spring quarters
Winter instruction runs Jan 4 to March 12, with finals March 13 to 19. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan 18) and Presidents' Day (Feb 15) are holidays.
UCLA's calendar does not name a spring break either. The time off is the gap between terms: there are no classes from Saturday, March 20 until spring instruction starts Monday, March 29, 2027. Spring quarter officially opens Wednesday, March 24, and Friday, March 26 is the Farmworkers Day holiday. Nine days is tight for a cross country round trip, so decide early whether a visit home makes sense.
Spring instruction ends June 4, Memorial Day (May 31) is a holiday, and finals run June 5 to 11. On campus housing contracts end June 11, 2027, and undergraduate University Apartments contracts end June 18.
Bruin Family Weekend
The 2026 dates are Friday, Oct 30 and Saturday, Oct 31. Registration on the Bruin Family Weekend site closes Oct 13 at 5:00 p.m. PDT, and the site notes space is limited. The program includes faculty talks, a lunch with your student's dean and family workshops; Saturday includes the UCLA vs. Nevada football game, ticketed separately. Parking is not part of the registration fee. The event's accommodations page lists hotels within about five miles, several with family discount codes, so it is worth booking a room the same day you register.
Commencement 2027
The registrar lists commencement, held by college and school, from Friday, June 11 to Sunday, June 13, 2027. The College's commencement site says these dates are based on the academic calendar and may change. Until your graduate's ceremony time is posted, hold lodging for the whole weekend.
Double check before you book
- Your student's own final exam times before any December, March or June flight.
- The assigned move in date and time in the housing portal each fall.
- Whether the tentative Dec 24 to Jan 1 closure changes.
- Ceremony times for your graduate's college or school.
Questions about UCLA dates
When is UCLA Bruin Family Weekend 2026?
Friday, Oct 30 and Saturday, Oct 31, 2026. Registration closes Oct 13 at 5:00 p.m. PDT, and parking and football tickets are not included in the fee. Bruin Family Weekend
When does fall quarter end at UCLA, and when should my student fly home for winter break?
Fall instruction ends Dec 4, 2026, with common finals Dec 5 to 6 and regular finals Dec 7 to 11. Winter quarter classes begin Monday, Jan 4, 2027. Book the flight home after your student knows their last exam time.
How long is Thanksgiving break at UCLA?
Two days. The holiday is Thursday and Friday, Nov 26 to 27, 2026, and classes continue the next week until Dec 4.
Does UCLA have a spring break?
Not by that name. Winter finals end March 19, 2027 and spring instruction starts March 29, so there are no classes from March 20 to 28.
When is UCLA commencement 2027?
The registrar lists commencement, held by college and school, from Friday, June 11 to Sunday, June 13, 2027. The College notes these dates are based on the academic calendar and may change, so check the commencement site for ceremony times before you book.
Can my student stay on campus over winter break?
Only as an approved stay through resident. Residential Life's winter break stay through page from the 2025 break reactivated BruinCards only for approved stay through residents and listed limited dining hours, so check with Housing well before December for this year's rules.
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