Copy of Is it Harder for Californian Students to Get Into UC?
The University of California application results for the fall of 2023 have been released. Since it is a public university system, the admissions process for UC schools can be quite political. Not only do they cater to in-state applicants, but they also make sure that the number of minorities they admit is proportional to the population.
As such, admissions policies with regard to the benefit of minorities may be another hurdle an applicant will face. If we are to look at the latest official admissions data released by the University of California, we would see which demographic is more likely to be admitted.
In the Undergraduate Admission Data, the University of California divides students into three categories according to the last school they graduated from:
▼ California Resident applicant
▼ Domestic Non-Resident Applicants
▼ Non-Resident International Applicant
#20 UC Berkeley
According to the admissions data for the past three years at UC Berkeley, the admissions rate has consistently dropped. As such, it is progressively more difficult for applicants to be accepted, especially for out-of-state students.
#20 UCLA
Likewise, the battle at UCLA was brutal, with neither side having more than a 10% acceptance rate. The admission rate of out-of-state applicants has even declined in three years, but it is still on par with in-state applicants. However, international applicants are more unfortunate. The difficulty of applying to UCLA and UCB is almost the same as that of applying to Ivy League schools.
#32 UC Santa Barbara
At UC Santa Barbara, they are more open to out-of-state applicants. In the past three years, the out-of-state admission rate at UCSB has always been the highest. However, there is not much difference between in-state and out-of-state admissions in the fall of 2022.
#34 UC San Diego
UCSD, which ranks 34th on the US News list of top National Universities, is considered by many Californians as the 3rd best university in the UC System. However, it is not as attractive as UCB and UCLA for out-of-state students. This is also reflected in the yield rates of out-of-state admissions from other branch schools since they are all in the single digits.
However, overall, UCSD’s acceptance rate has also declined very rapidly while applications increase annually since it is known for being a good university for Engineering, Computer, and other similar programs.
#34 UC Irvine
Irvine has also seen a similar spike in applicants who are interested in Computer and Game related programs. In the last year alone, they received more than 100,000 applications. And even though their acceptance rate for in-state applicants in the UC System is not the least, they accept more out-of-state applicants.
#38 UC Davis
Many students regard UC Davis as the best UC campus among the Top 50 Universities. Indeed, historically speaking, its admission rate is higher compared with the other campuses. In the fall of 2021, they had an 80% admission rate. However, in the fall of 2022, their admission rate declined and has continued to do so for this year’s results.
#83 UC Santa Cruz
In terms of last year’s data, UC Santa Cruz is kinder to applicants, wherein more than half were given an offer.
#89 UC Riverside
Compared with the other campuses whose acceptance rates have decreased, UC Riverside has accepted more applicants in the past three years.
#97 UC Merced
Established in 2005, it is the youngest branch school in the UC System. And although it currently doesn’t rank high in the list of Top National Universities, many people are optimistic about its future.
At present, it is still the most friendly branch school for in-state students, with an admission rate of 92.5% during the fall 2022 application season. However, their out-of-state and international student acceptance rate is quite low, partly because, these groups of students rarely choose to enroll in this branch.
The schools in the UC System vary in difficulty and prestige. However, their unique one-for-all application system makes it a popular choice for many students, making the competition more intense for in-state, out-of-state, and international applicants alike. To secure a spot at an ideal UC campus, longer-term academic and activities planning becomes crucial. As the application season comes to an end, Enlighteens will strive to offer more insight for future applicants with all kinds of backgrounds. Stay tuned!