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UC admits fewer California residents, more students in next year's freshman class

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APRIL 17, 2012

The admissions rate for in-state residents to the University of California decreased by about 3.6 percent for the incoming freshman class, according to data released by the UC Office of the President Tuesday.

This drop in California resident freshman admissions is a continuation of a trend that has been in effect for at least the last 3 years, UC admissions data shows. Due to the record number of applicants to the UC this year, the admissions rate for out-of-state and international admits also dropped almost 7 percent and 3 percent respectively. This is a reversal from recent years in which there was a steady increase in the admissions rates of nonresident students.

However, the UC also had a record number of freshman applicants this year and admitted a record number of freshman students to the system. This year, 80,289 freshmen were admitted, compared with 72,432 last year. In addition, the university saw around 126,300 freshman applicants this year, as compared with about 106,100 last year.

UC Berkeley was the only UC campus to not increase offers of admission to out-of-state and international students, with each rate falling around 12 percent.

For the past two years, the campus has aimed to bring the total nonresident student population to about 20 percent of total students. If enrollment exceeded that percentage, UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau said the campus would re-evaluate its admissions procedures to maintain that equilibrium. For fall 2011, close to 30 percent of the incoming freshman class was composed of nonresident students.

Systemwide, the UC admitted more out-of-state and international students than last year. In total, 18,846 nonresident students were admitted to the UC — an increase of about 5 percent proportional to the number of students admitted.

The total admission rate for UC Berkeley also fell from 25.5 percent last year to 21.1 percent this year. The campus experienced a record number of freshman applicants this year but admitted about 13,000 students, similar to last year and the year before.

“We have the capacity to educate many more students at our campuses,” said Kate Jeffery, interim director of undergraduate admissions for the UC in a statement. “What we don’t have is the funding to admit more California students.”

Corrections: "A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the admission rate for California residents to the UC fell by 1 percent. In fact, the admission rate for resident applicants to UC Berkeley fell by 1 percent. The admission rate for the UC increased by 3.6 percent."
Amruta Trivedi is the lead academics and administration reporter.
LAST UPDATED

APRIL 17, 2012


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