LOS ANGELES—The University of California (UC) received a record 210,840 freshman applications for fall 2022, with the University of California–Los Angeles leading the way, according to figures released on Feb. 24.
“The University of California remains an institution of choice for so many hardworking prospective undergraduates,” UC President Michael V. Drake said in a statement. “This diverse group of students has shown their commitment to pursuing higher education and we are thrilled they want to join us at UC.”
The applications from 210,840 prospective freshmen marked a 0.5 percent jump from fall 2021, when a then-record 203,700 applied. The numbers represent the students who applied, with many students applying to multiple campuses in the nine-university system.
California residents represented the vast majority of freshman applicants, at 132,337. A total of 47,103 out-of-state students applied, along with 31,400 international students, according to the UC.
UCLA received the most overall applications at 149,779, including 91,544 in-state applicants. That was up from 139,463 applications the previous year. UC Irvine received 119,165 applications, up from 107,939 for fall 2021.
The number of transfer applications to the UC system dropped by 12.6 percent from last year, while applications from California Community College students fell by 13 percent—reflecting dwindling community college enrollment amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“UC is aware of the decrease in transfer applications and California Community College students across the system and is working to ensure that this critical group is supported in their efforts to apply at our campuses,” Han Mi Yoon-Wu, executive director of undergraduate admissions at UC, said in a statement. “We are committed to having a strong and diverse pipeline of students.”
Chicano and Latino students represented 38.1 percent of applicants, a 4.1 percent increase from the previous year. Applications from Black students increased by 2.8 percent over the previous year, while American-Indian student applications jumped by 32.8 percent.
