Hot off the press!  We've had a chance to review the Fall 2019 admissions data released recently by the University of California and thought it would be helpful to summarize it and share our key findings.  

Overall freshman admission rates are up for residents and steady for out of state and international students as the University of California continues to settle on a new normal that accommodates a larger mix of non-residents.   If you're an out of state or international student, pay close attention...there continues to be a window of opportunity to take advantage of favorable odds at several UC campuses.

Click on Continue Reading for the details.

Key Findings

• Systemwide, the overall freshman admission rate increased slightly from 60% to 61%.   Systemwide, the overall freshman admission rate increased slightly from 60% to 61% as total applications declined by approximately 3%. The average admission rate for California residents increased from 59% to 62% year over year, while out-of-state and international admit rates remained essentially flat at 54% and 67%. UCLA remained the most selective campus, with Berkeley at #2, Irvine at #3, Santa Barbara climbing to #4 and San Diego falling to #5. Davis, Santa Cruz, Riverside and Merced remained unchanged at spots 6-9.

• Admitted student mix remains steady. The mix of admitted students remained steady at 66% in-state and 34% out-of-state and international, although this varies considerably by campus. Overall, California resident enrollment is expected to increase by 2,500 year over year.

• Pockets of opportunity for non-residents. While the systemwide admission mix remained steady for the year, several campuses continue to expand their mix of non-resident admittances.

Highlights by Campus

• Berkeley.   The overall admission rate increased from 15% to 17% in 2019 due to a 3% decline in applications and an 8% increase in the total number of admitted students.  The mix of resident vs. non-resident admittances remained unchanged at 66% and 34%.  

• Davis.   The overall admission rate fell from 41% to 39% for 2019 due to a 5% decline in admitted students. While the non-resident admittances declined from 39% to 36% of total, out-of-state and international applicants were admitted at rates far in excess of California residents (63% and 42% vs 36%). 

• Irvine.   The overall admission rate declined from 29% to 27% due to a 7% decline in admits. Admission rates declined across the board for residents and non-residents, but out-of-state and international admission rates at Irvine remain substantially higher than the admission rate for California residents (44% and 41% vs 21%). Out-of-state and international admittances climbed from 35% to 41% of total admittances for the year.

• Los Angeles.   The overall admission rate declined from 14% to 12% based on a 14% decline in admitted students. The resident admit rate remained steady at 12% while out-of-state and international admit rates fell from 22% to 17% and 12% to 9% respectively.  The mix of admittances from out-of-state and international students also fell from 45% to 40% of total.

• Merced.   The overall admission rate increased from 71% to 75% as admitted student growth outpaced applicant growth for the year (10% vs 3%). The mix of California resident admits to this campus remains high at 94%.

• Riverside.   The overall admission rate rose from 51% to 57% on an 12% surge in admitted students. Residents and non-residents all experienced higher admit rates, but the mix of California resident admits remains high at 86%.

• San Diego.   The overall admission rate increased from 30% to 32% due to an 8% increase in admitted students. The mix of out-of-state admittances grew from 21% to 25% of total admits in 2019. The admit rate for out of state students at UCSD is now 60% vs. 28% for California residents and 30% for international applicants.

• Santa Barbara.   The overall admission rate fell from 32% to 30% due primarily to a 7% decline in admitted students. Out-of-state and international students now account for 36% of the total admittances to this campus, up from 33% in 2018 and 31% in 2017. 

• Santa Cruz.   The overall admission rate rose from 48% to 52% in 2019 due to a 7% increase in admitted students. Admission rates for out-of-state and international applicants remain significantly higher here than for California residents (86% and 75% vs 45%). Non-residents account for 30% of total admittances to this campus.

Implications

• New normal continues.   The new normal continues as the University of California moves forward on its pledge to expand California resident enrollment and cap non-resident enrollment.  

• Pockets of opportunity persist for out-of-state and international applicants.   The search for improved diversity and full pay applicants to counter rising expenses continues to create opportunity for non-residents interested in a UC education.  Not all campuses have reached their non-resident enrollment limits, and the mix of out-of-state and international admittances is on the rise at selected campuses.

• Admission rate advantages most prominent at Davis, Irvine, San Diego and Santa Cruz.   Decided admission rate advantages persist for out-of-state and international students at Irvine and Santa Cruz, and for out-of-state students at Davis and San Diego.