UC smashes record for first-year fall applications, with gains in most racial groups

For the second straight year, the University of California shattered records for first-year fall applications, as the elimination of standardized test requirements and greater online outreach paid dividends in drawing the largest and most diverse applicant pool ever despite pandemic challenges, according to preliminary data released Thursday. Overall, UC drew 210,840 first-year applications, a 3.5% increase over last year, with more students seeking admission from California, other states and other countries for fall 2022. “This diverse group of students has shown their commitment to pursuing higher education and we are thrilled they want to join us at UC.” UCLA again drew the largest number of first-year fall applications in the UC system — making it the most sought-after university in the nation — with 149,779 students seeking seats. Copeland-Morgan said it was still unclear how many seats UCLA will add — last year it accepted 8,436 California first-year students among 84,182 applicants, a 10% admission rate. “We’re going to make a whole lot of more California students happy when they get those admit letters this spring.” UC Berkeley led all campuses in growth, with first-year applicants increasing by 13.6% to 128,192.