Diverse incoming class for UC system

The University of California admitted a record number of freshmen and community college transfer applicants this year in its largest, most diverse undergraduate class ever, the UC announced Monday.

The ninecampus California public university system received 203,700 freshman applications this year — more than ever before — after a judge prohibited SAT and ACT tests from being used in admissions decisions, saying that “nondisabled, economically advantaged and white testtakers have an inherent advantage in the testing process.”

The UC also made temporary modifications to its deadlines to turn in application materials and letter grade requirements for freshman applicants.

“UC hoped these changes would further support students who faced barriers during a challenging year marked by canceled classes and schools that switched to pass/fail grading,” according to a press release.

This year, the UC admitted 132,353 freshman applicants and 30,883 transfer applicants — both alltimerecord highs, according to newly released admissions data.

The ninecampus UC system received 203,700 freshman applications this year, more than ever before.

Among admitted freshmen this year, the UC offered spots to 48,130 international and outofstate students — 3% more than last year.

Not all the admitted applicants, comprised of freshmen and transfer students, will enroll by the beginning of the school year. Last year, only 40% of the over 118,000 students who got in chose to attend the UC.

Although the UC turned away about 38% of all freshman applicants, officials said that those admitted represent the most diverse undergraduate class in history: 36,462 admitted freshmen — or 43% — come from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.

Of the 84,223 admitted California freshmen, their race and ethnicity is as follows:

⏩ 37% Chicano/Latino — 31,220 students

⏩ 34% Asian American — 28,402 students

⏩ 20% White — 17,024 students

⏩ 5% African American — 4,608 students

⏩ 0.45% American Indian — 380 students

For the past several years, African American students have made up only about 5% of all admitted California freshmen. Even though the number of African American applicants increased by nearly 22% this year, African American students still made up the same portion of admitted California freshmen. Despite the stagnant proportion, the UC says it admitted 621 more African American students than last year.

Across the UC, 45% of all admitted freshmen were the first in their family to attend college. UC Merced had the highest share of firstgeneration college students, 59%, and UCLA had the lowest at 32%.

About 45% of all admitted California freshmen have low family income. UC Davis and UCLA tied for the lowest rate of admitted students with low family income, 36%, and UC Merced had the highest rate of 58%.

UC San Diego offered 12,330 spots to California transfer students, the most out of any UC. Merced offered the least: 3,087.