The University of California (UC) has announced its largest and most diverse incoming class for fall 2024, surpassing previous records.
For the first-year admissions, UC extended offers to 93,920 California students, marking a 4.3% increase from last year and setting a new record. The admission rate for California residents has also climbed to 70%, up from 68% in 2023.
The diversity of the incoming class is equally significant, with underrepresented first-year students now comprising 45.4% of the total, an increase from 44.2% last year. Latino students remain the largest demographic group at 38.6%, and there has been a nearly 10% rise in African American admissions, bringing their proportion to 5.9%.
UC has also made strides in admitting California Community College students, with offers rising by 7.8% to 26,430. The proportion of underrepresented groups among these transfers has increased to 37.9%, with Latino students representing 31.2% of the cohort. The system’s commitment to accessibility is also evident in the growing percentage of first-generation college students, which has reached 43.1%. The proportion of students from low-income families has also risen to 40.7%.
Overall, UC’s latest admissions cycle highlights its ongoing efforts to enhance educational opportunities and support a diverse student population in California. Despite not being able to use race-conscious admissions within the last few decades, UC has continued to uphold comprehensive admissions review processes, serving as a model for increasing diversity. Their test-free admissions policy, in effect since 2021, has supported high retention rates, with 92% of first-year students advancing to their second year.
“The university’s holistic admissions process, combined with our campuses’ deliberate work with high schools, community colleges, and community-based organizations, has helped highly qualified prospective students from all backgrounds plan and prepare for admission to our world-class campuses,” Han Mi Yoon-Wu, UC’s associate vice provost for undergraduate admissions, said in a press release.
