The University of California admitted a record high number of applicants for its fall 2013 freshman class, 82,850 students who represent a diverse mix of academically accomplished Californians and out-of state and international residents.
Preliminary data show California students continued to make up the lion’s share of admitted students — 60,089. The overall number of admitted state residents varied slightly by campus — some increased, a few decreased, and others stayed the same. Drawing from a record number of applications, freshman offers of admission were up 3.2 percent overall from 2012.
The slight decline in the number and proportion of admitted students who are Californians reflects the fallout from years of severe budget cuts to UC, which has enrolled thousands of California students for whom it received no state funding. The number of state students admitted for fall 2013 is expected to increase once offers are made from campus waitlists and the referral pool.
All nine undergraduate campuses increased their offers of admission to non-resident students, resulting in a rise from a systemwide total of 18,846 in 2012 to 22,761 in 2013. It is important to note, however, that applicants from outside California traditionally decline UC admission offers at a higher rate than do Californians. It is expected that, systemwide, fewer than 10 percent of enrolled UC undergraduates in 2013 will be out-of-state and international students.
“We continue to be inspired by the caliber of students who apply to the University of California,” said Michael Treviño, director of undergraduate admissions. “We wish we could enroll more of them. Despite our budget constraints, however, we will honor the California Master Plan and offer a spot at one of our campuses to all students who qualify for guaranteed admission by being in the top 9 percent of the state or in their local high school.”
The preliminary outcomes for fall 2013 reflect slight changes in the numbers of California students admitted from historically underrepresented groups. The proportion of Latinos admitted — the largest ethnic group among 2013 applicants — increased from 27.3 percent in 2012 to 27.6 percent in 2013, while the proportion of African Americans dropped slightly, from 4.4 percent in 2012 to 4.2 percent in 2013. UC continues to admit high proportions of freshmen who would be the first in their families to attend college, are from low-income families, and attended low-performing high schools.
Further details about the fall 2013 preliminary admissions outcomes can be found at www.ucop.edu/news/studstaff.html, which includes an information summary as well as tables that offer detailed breakdowns by campus, residency and ethnicity.