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Admissions officials with the University of California system say they're charting a record-breaking number of applications for the fall 2022 semester.
The current numbers reportedly 3.3% jump in applications compared to this time last year, and compared to two years ago, that figure jumps to 17%. Admissions officials indicate eliminations of standardized test requirements and greater online outreach were main components in drawing the largest and most diverse applicant pool ever despite challenges presented from the pandemic, according to preliminary data released Thursday. “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.”
UCLA drew the largest number of first-year fall applications in the UC system — making it the most sought-after university in the nation for the second year — with 149,779 students seeking application acceptance. Among them, 91,544 were Californians — with 4 out of 10 members being applicants of underrepresented minority groups or the first in their families to attend college, and nearly half were low-income students. UC Berkeley was the reported leader of all campuses in total growth, with first-year applicants increasing by 13.6% to 128,192. These numbers are also being influenced by promised enrollment funds for about 900 more California students from Governnor Gavin Newsom and state legislators for UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC San Diego, in place of nonresidents by covering the losses of higher tuition paid by out-of-state and international students.
“In a year where we saw application numbers across the nation decline, the entire UC saw increases,” Olufemi Ogundele, UC Berkeley’s associate vice chancellor of enrollment management and dean of undergraduate admissions, said in a statement. “Here at Berkeley, we saw even more of an increase than our peers. The diversity of our applicant pool continues to be strong, and we remain a top choice for incredibly talented scholars."