Record-breaking Number of Students Apply to Univ. of California

The University of California system saw the largest and most diverse applicant pool ever:

• · UC received 210,840 first-year applications (a 3.5% increase over last year)
• · 132,337 California residents applied

·The pool of California applicants was diverse

• 38% Latino students
• 31% Asian American students
• 21% white students
• 7% Black students
• 1% American Indian students 
• Less than 1% Pacific Islander students

UC admission leaders note that these numbers are largely impacted by two changes related to the pandemic. First, the UC system eliminated SAT and ACT testing requirements at the start of the pandemic, which encouraged more students to apply. Additionally, the UC system has relied more heavily on virtual recruiting, tours, and information sessions since the 2020 season, allowing them to expand their reach beyond California borders.

Campus Highlights

• UCLA: With 149,779 applicants, UCLA had the largest number of first-year fall applications in the UC system. 91,544 were California residents; 40% belonged to underrepresented minority groups or were the first in their families to attend college; and almost 50% were low-income students. Of the UC campuses, UCLA had the highest number of Latino and Black applicants. Notably, there was a 32% increase in the number of UCLA applicants who ranked in the top 9% of their high school class.
• UC Berkeley: UC Berkeley led all campuses in the UC system in growth as their number of first-year applicants increased by 13.6% to 128,192. 72,417 applicants were California residents. 40% were low-income students, the first in their families to attend college or members of underrepresented minority groups
• UC Irvine: UC Irvine received first-year applications from 57 of California’s 58 counties, the broadest geographical representation ever. After UCLA, UC Irvine tied with UC San Diego for the largest number of California resident applicants; this campus’ first-year applications increased by more than 10%. UC Irvine had the largest number of California first-generation students and Asian American applicants.
• UC San Diego: After UCLA, UC San Diego tied with UC Irvine for the largest number of California resident applicants; this campus’ first-year applications increased by more than 10%. 

Looking Forward

In anticipating your chances for admission across the UC system, it’s important to note that the increase in applicants with higher academic achievement makes for tough competition, especially if you are not a California resident. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom and state legislators are providing UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UC San Diego funds to enroll about 900 more California students in place of nonresidents. Moreover, as we reported last week, UC Berkeley is in the midst of an ongoing fight regarding a court order that would freeze enrollment and cut student admission offers. The UC Board of Regents has appealed to the California Supreme Court.

For future UC applicants, the implications of this newly released data might be intimidating, but it’s also certainly exciting to consider the potential for a rigorous and robust academic experience. 

Are you considering applying to UC schools? If so, a smart application strategy is key to maximizing your chance of admissions. Talk with a PathIvy counselor today to develop a personalized data-driven plan for your UC application.