The College of California drew a quarter-million purposes for fall 2024, a rise over final 12 months powered by a big rebound in group faculty switch candidates and extra in-state residents of more and more numerous backgrounds, in accordance with preliminary information launched Wednesday.
The variety of California first-year purposes elevated to 134,053, a 1.4% rise over final 12 months’s preliminary information, with features at eight of 9 UC undergraduate campuses. UCLA, UC San Diego and UC Irvine drew probably the most first-year purposes from Californians, whereas UC Berkeley’s numbers dropped barely over final 12 months.
Functions from out-of-state residents fell, probably a mirrored image of state targets centered on preserving extra seats for Californians. Texas despatched probably the most candidates, however a state-by-state breakdown confirmed no sample of upper curiosity from college students in pink states which have adopted strict antiabortion legal guidelines after the U.S. Supreme Court docket struck down its Roe vs. Wade ruling in 2022. Worldwide college students elevated barely.
However probably the most eye-catching growth — one hailed by campus admission leaders — was the strong development in switch purposes, which had fallen considerably over the past two years as group faculty enrollments plunged in the course of the pandemic and its aftermath. Switch purposes grew to 43,543, a ten.6% improve over final 12 months, together with 34,668 from California Neighborhood School college students.
Latinos have been once more the biggest group of candidates, at 39%, with Asian People at 30%, whites at 20%, Black college students at 7%, American Indians at 1% and Pacific Islanders at lower than 1%. Black candidates noticed the strongest development, growing in quantity by 7%, with features of two.5% for Latinos and 1.9% for American Indians, the time period UC makes use of in its demographic information.
UC’s means to proceed growing traditionally underrepresented pupil teams with out race-based affirmative motion — banned in California in 1996 and struck down by the excessive court docket final 12 months — is because of its complete evaluate course of, campus efforts to create partnerships with group teams embedded in underserved neighborhoods and strong monetary assist that reduces the price of faculty, the college mentioned in an announcement.
UC additionally drew barely extra low-income candidates for first-year seats, rising to 40% in contrast with 39.9% final 12 months. The variety of college students receiving federal Pell Grants had dropped for a number of years, elevating issues that college students with the best monetary want weren’t capable of entry a UC training even when well-qualified.
“We’re happy to see such an impressive pool of scholars from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences,” UC President Michael V. Drake mentioned in an announcement. “Potential college students and their households acknowledge {that a} diploma from the College of California units them up for lifelong profession success. The rise in purposes underscores the standard of the tutorial expertise and the long-term social mobility a UC training can present underrepresented college students.”
Though UC campuses have pledged to extend seats for brand spanking new California college students as a part of their compact with Gov. Gavin Newsom, the upper utility numbers might effectively end result in decrease admission charges — particularly on the best campuses. In 2023, as an example, UCLA admitted 9.5% of California first-year candidates and UC Berkeley, 15.1%.
Jim Rawlins, affiliate vice chancellor of enrollment administration at UC San Diego, raised that concern whilst he mentioned he was gratified by the rising curiosity in his campus.
“I by no means wish to have a good time a rise in any means that’s senseless of the truth that it means we are going to very possible should deny extra folks consequently,” he mentioned. “One of many important issues that occurs with that phenomenon is that concern of not getting in tends to disproportionately discourage college students who’re first era to go to school or low earnings or at deprived, lower-funded colleges. And we simply hate to see these college students not apply.”
Nonetheless, UC San Diego acquired extra first-year purposes from Californians of Black, Latino and American Indian descent for fall 2024 over final 12 months. General, the campus noticed features in California first-year candidates to 88,392 purposes, up 4.1%, and transfers to 19,371, a 12.3% improve.
The turnaround in switch purposes fueling the applicant development mirrored not solely the pandemic restoration and a rebound in group faculty enrollments but additionally rising efforts to enhance pathways from group schools to UC campuses. All campuses drew extra switch purposes for fall 2024 over final 12 months besides UC Merced, with UCLA, UC Irvine, UC San Diego and UC Berkeley all receiving greater than 20,000 every.
A number of UC campuses prolonged their switch utility deadline this 12 months by six weeks to Jan. 15. UC Santa Cruz acquired 600 to 800 extra purposes whereas UC San Diego drew as many as 900 extra due to the extension, campus officers mentioned.
UC additionally labored with the California Neighborhood Schools system to obtain contact info for all two-year college students concerned about transferring to a four-year establishment, permitting campuses to achieve out to them earlier within the admission cycle.
UC Santa Cruz, as an example, emailed about 500,000 potential switch college students final fall to congratulate them on their instructional journeys and provide assist in course planning, monetary assist points and different help, mentioned Michelle Whittingham, affiliate vice chancellor of enrollment administration. The variety of switch purposes total grew to 12,218 — a 9.6% improve — for fall 2024 whereas these for first-year seats elevated to 71,697, a 4.2% rise.
“Seeing the resiliency of the scholars as these switch numbers begin to recuperate is basically thrilling,” Whittingham mentioned.
At UCLA, the rebound in switch candidates was additionally applauded as a standout growth this 12 months. The Westwood campus topped all campuses in switch purposes — 27,150, a 13.3% improve. UCLA additionally drew the biggest variety of first-year purposes — 146,250, all however assuring its place as probably the most sought-after college within the nation. California residents making use of to UCLA grew barely to 92,290, a 1.7% improve. The variety of candidates from out of state and abroad declined barely.
“Our objective total, particularly because it pertains to freshmen, isn’t about getting extra purposes — we’ve obtained lots,” mentioned Gary Clark, UCLA affiliate vice chancellor of enrollment administration. “It’s extra of a deal with the make-up of the applicant pool. Seeing the group schools beginning to rebound and construct again their enrollment to getting near pre-pandemic ranges after which seeing that basically present up in our applicant pool this 12 months, is thrilling.”
UC Davis noticed strong development in candidates in all classes. The variety of first-year candidates elevated to 98,834, a 4.4% improve, and transfers grew to 16,515, a 12% rise. Officers have mentioned that one recruiting pitch is the world’s higher affordability in contrast with different UC campuses within the Bay Space and California coastal areas, a few of the state’s priciest real-estate markets.
UC Irvine’s complete purposes for first-year seats grew to 122,661, up by 1.3%. Switch candidates grew to 25,187, a 14% improve.
“It was an actual sturdy 12 months for us, and that’s actually not only a testomony to the onerous work of our employees, however testomony of the rising repute of the campus,” mentioned Dale Leaman, govt director of undergraduate admissions.
Irvine particularly sought to boost its profile in areas exterior California, with focused recruitment within the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast. Officers not solely performed up the campus’ tutorial and analysis excellence, but additionally the world’s security and facilities — corresponding to close by Disneyland and exquisite Orange County seashores, mentioned Bryan Jue, senior director of outreach and communications.
At UC Santa Barbara, first-year candidates from California grew to 75,523 however declined barely for nonresident college students, amounting to a complete 110,236. Switch candidates total grew to 18,410, an 8% rise.
Lisa Przekop, UC Santa Barbara affiliate director of admissions, mentioned the total return of campus bus excursions from L.A. to Santa Barbara, which have been canceled in the course of the pandemic, has helped native recruitment. Many Los Angeles highschool college students who’ve by no means been to Santa Barbara typically suppose the campus is “actually distant” — somewhat than simply 90 minutes, she mentioned.
“They will see that it wasn’t a really lengthy bus experience, after which they get to see the campus,” she mentioned. “Santa Barbara is a kind of campuses that if you happen to see it, it makes a giant distinction.”
One other notable growth amongst this 12 months’s candidates, Przekop mentioned, was the steep drop in pc science majors, which declined by about 1,600 to 9,173. She mentioned UC admissions officers instructed highschool counselors at a convention final 12 months that the extremely aggressive and rigorous discipline is finest suited to these with a ardour for it, somewhat than an off-the-cuff curiosity. At UC Santa Barbara, as an example, the admission fee is simply 10% for pc science majors in contrast with about 30% total, she mentioned.
UC Riverside additionally noticed development, receiving 57,420 purposes for first-year seats and 12,042 for switch spots. UC Merced drew 29,351 first-year purposes — a 14% improve — however switch purposes declined barely to three,589.
“These utility numbers affirm we’re headed in the best route,” Han Mi Yoon-Wu, UC affiliate vice provost for undergraduate admissions, mentioned in an announcement. “The College of California’s unparalleled mixture of affordability and high-quality training continues to draw gifted candidates.”
