Hot off the press!  We've had a chance to review the Fall 2020 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, out of state and international students across the board thanks to a 10 percent year-over-year rise in total admits. 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 from 61% to 69%.   Systemwide, the overall freshman admission rate increased from 61% to 69% as total applications declined by 3% and admitted students increased by 10%. The average admission rate for California residents increased from 62% to 71% year over year, while out-of-state and international admit rates increased from 54% to 67% and 67% to 71% respectively. UCLA remained the most selective campus, with Berkeley at #2, Irvine at #3, Santa Barbara at #4, San Diego at #5 and Davis, Santa Cruz, Riverside and Merced at spots 6-9.

• Admitted student mix remains steady. The mix of admitted students remained essentially unchanged at 67% in-state and 33% out-of-state and international, although this varies considerably by campus. Overall, California resident enrollment is expected to increase by 1,600 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 slightly from 17% to 18% in 2020 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 climbed from 39% to 47% for 2020 due to an 18% increase in admitted students. Out-of-state and international applicants were admitted at rates far in excess of California residents (72% and 60% vs 40%). Non-residents now represent 40% of total admittances, up from 36% in 2019. 

• Irvine.   The overall admission rate increased from 27% to 30% due to a 15% increase in admits. The admission rate for out-of-state applicants jumped from 44% to 64% in 2020. Out-of-state and international admission rates at Irvine remain substantially higher than the admission rate for California residents (64% and 44% vs 23%) and non-residents now represent 44% of total admits.

• Los Angeles.   The overall admission rate increased from 12% to 14% based on a 2% decline in applicants and 14% increase in admitted students. Residents were admitted at a 14% rate while out-of-state and international applicants were admitted at a 21% rate and 10% rate respectively.

• Merced.   The overall admission rate increased from 75% to 91% due to a 20% surge in admitted students. Merced remains a decidedly resident-centric campus, with non-residents representing just 6% of the total admit pool.

• Riverside.   The overall admission rate rose from 57% to 66% on an 17% rise in admitted students. Residents and non-residents all experienced higher admit rates, but the mix of California resident admits remains high at 86% of total.

• San Diego.   The overall admission rate increased from 30% to 38% due to an 20% rise in admitted students. The admit rate for out of state students held steady at 60% vs. 34% for California residents while the admit rate for international students climbed from 30% to 36%.

• Santa Barbara.   The overall admission rate climbed from 30% to 37% due primarily to a 21% uptick in admitted students. Out-of-state and international students accounted for 33% of the total admittances to this campus down from 36% in 2019. 

• Santa Cruz.   The overall admission rate rose from 52% to 65% in 2020 due to a whopping 25% increase in admitted students. Historical advantage for non-resident applicants has tempered here as the mix of resident admits climbed to 76% of total admittances vs. 70% last year.

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