UC admits more California residents, looking to meet state goals

The University of California admitted a record number of California resident first-year students for the upcoming fall term, offering a spot to 93,920 of them, the university system announced Wednesday.

UC also made more admission offers to community college transfer students and to low-income students. Latino students were the largest demographic group of admitted first-year students, while UC also slightly increased offers to Black students.

Where things stand

But just because the students were accepted doesn’t mean they will ultimately attend UC. The numbers released Wednesday do not indicate how many students paid their deposits and told UC they intended to enroll. Enrollment data won’t be available until after the fall term — typically in January.

Still, UC President Michael Drake (who announced this week he is stepping down) said in a statement that the admission numbers “demonstrate the University of California’s commitment to expanding opportunity and access” for all students.

“We’re setting more California students on the path to a college degree and future success, and that translates to a positive impact on communities throughout the state,” Drake said.

How the demographics break down

Latino students represented the largest share of California first-year admits, accounting for 38.6% of them, up from 37.7% last year. UC also made admission offers to about 500 more Black students than it did for fall 2023.

In total, UC admitted 166,706 students for fall 2024, its largest ever class of admitted students. That includes 137,200 first-year students and 29,506 transfer students.

The 93,920 admission offers to California resident first-year students represents a 4.3% increase from last year.

Latino students in fall 2023 accounted for 26% of UC’s undergraduate population — much less than the share of Latino students in California high schools, where they make up more than half the student population. Black students made up 4.6% of the UC undergraduate population in fall 2023. The largest demographic group was Asian students, accounting for 36%, while white students accounted for about 20%.

Although UC is aware of the race of applicants, the system is not allowed to consider race as a factor in admissions due to Proposition 209, a 1996 ballot measure banning the use of race in admissions at California public colleges.

A priority for Californians

UC in recent years has prioritized admitting and enrolling California residents in response to pressure from lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom. In 2022, Newsom agreed to give UC as well as the California State University system annual funding increases of 5% for five years. In exchange, the two systems are expected to work toward a number of goals, including increasing graduation rates and enrolling more in-state students.

Amid declining state revenues, the governor nearly reneged on the compact this year. But after negotiations with lawmakers, the final budget deal included a 5% base increase for both UC and CSU, equal to $227.8 million for UC. The budget, however, also included a one-time cut of $125 million for UC.

In a statement Wednesday, UC said this fall it is “poised to enroll more California undergraduates than ever, building on systemwide progress toward the shared enrollment goals outlined in the budget compact with the state.”

Community college transfer students rise, too

The compact also calls for UC to increase access for California community college transfer students. UC admitted 26,430 of those transfer students for fall 2024, a 7.8% jump from a year ago. That increase is consistent with trends in the community college system, which has seen its enrollment steadily increase since the 2022-23 academic year following pandemic-related enrollment declines prior to that.

UC on Wednesday also touted its increased admission offers to low-income students. Among California first-year students who were admitted, the number who reported low family incomes grew by 1% compared with a year ago.

Han Mi Yoon-Wu, UC’s associate vice provost for undergraduate admissions, credited UC’s “holistic admissions process” and the system’s “deliberate work” with high schools, community colleges and community-based organizations.

“We are thrilled that the University of California continues to be a destination of choice for our state’s incredibly accomplished and diverse students,” she added in her statement.