The University of California received a quarter of a million applications for fall 2024, an increase from last year driven by a significant uptick in community college transfer applicants and more in-state residents from increasingly diverse backgrounds, according to preliminary data released Wednesday.
The number of California freshman applications increased to 134,053, a 1.4% increase over last year's preliminary data, with gains at eight of UC's nine college campuses. UCLA, UC San Diego and UC Irvine attracted the most first-year applications from Californians, while UC Berkeley's numbers were down slightly from last year.
Applications from out-of-state residents declined, possibly a reflection of state goals focused on keeping more seats for Californians. Texas sent the most applicants, but a state-by-state breakdown showed no pattern of increased interest from students in red states that adopted strict anti-abortion laws after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its Roe v. Texas ruling. Wade in 2022. International students increased slightly.
But the most striking development, hailed by campus admissions leaders, was the strong growth in transfer applications, which had declined significantly over the past two years as community college enrollment plummeted during the pandemic and its aftermath. Transfer applications increased to 43,543, a 10.6% increase from last year, including 34,668 from California Community College students.
Latinos were again the largest group of applicants, at 39%, Asian Americans at 30%, Whites at 20%, Black students at 7%, American Indians at 1%, and Pacific Islanders with less than 1%. Black applicants experienced the strongest growth, increasing in number by 7%, with gains of 2.5% for Latinos and 1.9% for American Indians, the term UC uses in its demographic data.
UC's ability to continue to grow historically underrepresented student groups without race-based affirmative action (banned in California in 1996 and overturned by the high court last year) is due to its comprehensive review process, the efforts of the campus to create partnerships with community groups embedded in underserved communities. neighborhoods and strong financial aid that reduces the cost of college, the university said in a statement.
UC also attracted slightly more low-income applicants for first-year positions, increasing to 40% compared to 39.9% last year. The number of students receiving federal Pell Grants had been declining for several years, raising concerns that students with the greatest financial need would not be able to access a UC education even if they were well qualified.
“We are pleased to see such an outstanding group of students from a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences,” UC President Michael V. Drake said in a statement. “Prospective students and their families recognize that a degree from the University of California prepares them for lifelong career success. “The increase in applications underscores the quality of the educational experience and long-term social mobility that a UC education can provide for underrepresented students.”
Although UC campuses have committed to increasing seats for new California students as part of their pact with Governor Gavin Newsom, the increased number of applications may well lead to lower admission rates, especially on larger campuses. competitive. In 2023, for example, UCLA admitted 9.5% of California first-year applicants and UC Berkeley 15.1%.
Jim Rawlins, associate vice chancellor for enrollment management at UC San Diego, expressed that concern even as he said he was pleased by the growing interest in his campus.
“I never want to celebrate an increase in any way that doesn't take into account the fact that, as a result, it means we will most likely have to deny more people,” he said. “One of the main things that happens with that phenomenon is that the fear of not getting in tends to disproportionately discourage students who are the first generation to go to college or those who are low-income or in disadvantaged and underfunded schools. And we just hate to see those students not apply.”
Still, UC San Diego received more freshman applications from Californians of Black, Latino and American Indian descent for fall 2024 than it did last year. Overall, the campus saw increases in first-year applicants from California to 88,392 applications, an increase of 4.1%, and transfers to 19,371, an increase of 12.3%.
The shift in transfer applications that fueled applicant growth reflected not only recovery from the pandemic and a rebound in community college enrollment, but also growing efforts to improve pathways from community colleges to college campuses. UC. All campuses received more transfer applications for fall 2024 than last year except UC Merced, and UCLA, UC Irvine, UC San Diego and UC Berkeley received more than 20,000 each.
Several UC campuses extended their transfer application deadline this year by six weeks to January 15. UC Santa Cruz received between 600 and 800 additional applications, while UC San Diego received up to 900 more because of the extension, campus officials said.
UC also worked with the California Community College system to receive contact information for all two-year students interested in transferring to a four-year institution, allowing campuses to contact them at an earlier stage. of the admission cycle.
UC Santa Cruz, for example, emailed about 500,000 prospective transfer students last fall to congratulate them on their educational journey and offer help with course planning, financial aid issues and other support, said Michelle Whittingham, associate vice chancellor. registration management. The number of overall transfer applications increased to 12,218 (an increase of 9.6%) for fall 2024, while those for first-year positions increased to 71,697, an increase of 4.2%.
“Seeing the resilience of students as transfer numbers begin to recover is really exciting,” Whittingham said.
At UCLA, the uptick in transfer applicants was also applauded as a notable development this year. The Westwood campus led all campuses in transfer requests: 27,150, an increase of 13.3%. UCLA also attracted the largest number of first-year applications: 146,250, virtually guaranteeing its position as the most sought-after university in the country. California residents applying to UCLA increased slightly to 92,290, an increase of 1.7%. The number of applicants from out of state and abroad decreased slightly.
“Our overall goal, especially as it relates to freshmen, is not to get more applications; we have a lot of them,” said Gary Clark, UCLA associate vice chancellor for enrollment management. “It's more about focusing on the composition of the applicant pool. “Watching community colleges begin to recover and rebuild their enrollment back to near pre-pandemic levels and then seeing that actually show up in our applicant pool this year is exciting.”
UC Davis experienced solid growth in the number of applicants in all categories. The number of first-year applicants increased to 98,834, an increase of 4.4%, and transfers grew to 16,515, an increase of 12%. Officials have said one recruiting pitch is the area's greater affordability compared to other UC campuses in the Bay Area and coastal areas of California, some of the state's most expensive real estate markets.
UC Irvine's total applications for first-year positions increased to 122,661, an increase of 1.3%. Transfer applicants grew to 25,187, an increase of 14%.
“It was a really strong year for us, and that's not only a testament to the hard work of our staff, but a testament to the growing reputation of the campus,” said Dale Leaman, executive director of undergraduate admissions.
Irvine specifically sought to raise its profile in areas outside of California, with targeted recruiting in the Pacific Northwest and Northeast. Officials not only highlighted the campus's academic and research excellence, but also the area's safety and amenities, such as nearby Disneyland and Orange County's beautiful beaches, said Bryan Jue, senior director of outreach and communications.
At UC Santa Barbara, first-year applicants from California increased to 75,523, but decreased slightly for nonresident students, reaching a total of 110,236. Overall transfer applicants increased to 18,410, an increase of 8%.
Lisa Przekop, associate director of admissions at UC Santa Barbara, said the full return of campus bus tours from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, which were canceled during the pandemic, has helped local recruiting. Many Los Angeles high school students who have never been to Santa Barbara often think the campus is “very far away,” rather than just 90 minutes away, she said.
“You can see it wasn't a very long bus ride and then you can see the campus,” he said. “Santa Barbara is one of those campuses that, if you look at it, makes a big difference.”
Another notable development among this year's applicants, Przekop said, was the sharp drop in computer science majors, which decreased by about 1,600 to 9,173. He said UC admissions officers told high school counselors at a conference last year that the highly competitive and rigorous field is best suited for those who have a passion for it, rather than a casual interest. At UC Santa Barbara, for example, the admissions rate is only 10% for computer science majors compared to about 30% overall, she said.
UC Riverside also saw growth, receiving 57,420 applications for first-year positions and 12,042 for transfer positions. UC Merced attracted 29,351 first-year applications (an increase of 14%), but transfer applications decreased slightly to 3,589.
“These application numbers confirm that we are headed in the right direction,” Han Mi Yoon-Wu, UC associate vice chancellor for undergraduate admissions, said in a statement. “The University of California's unmatched combination of affordability and high-quality education continues to attract talented applicants.”
