With more than 113,000 applications for fall 2018 freshman admission, UCLA has set a record for most applicants, driven in large part by a historic increase in applications from California high school students.
Applications from prospective in-state freshmen jumped to roughly 71,400, an increase of approximately 7,900, or 12.5 percent, over last year. This jump marks UCLA’s largest year-to-year increase in applications from California residents, surpassing the previous record set last year.
This year’s increase in freshman applications from Californians exceeded last year’s total growth in overall applications from in-state, out-of-state and international students combined. More than three of every five freshman applicants to the UC system (62.5 percent) applied to UCLA.
The increased volume for California residents also includes jumps in applications from students from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented on campus. Applications from African-American high school students increased by 13 percent, while applications from Chicano/Latino and American Indian high school students increased by approximately 10 percent and 6 percent, respectively.
“We continue to find new and innovative ways to tell what is a very compelling story about UCLA — that we are a public, land-grant institution where the quality of the student experience is second to none,” said Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, UCLA’s vice provost for enrollment management. “And that message is getting through to students throughout the state.”
She added that the strong numbers from underrepresented student applicants are a testament to UCLA’s robust engagement in the community.
“We are also pleased that through our partnerships with high schools and community-based organizations, we have ensured that students from a wide variety of backgrounds can see themselves at our campus,” Copeland-Morgan said. “Our application numbers show that message is resonating with students.”
Applications from prospective Asian Americans and white freshmen from California also rose by about 17 and 7 percent, respectively, making this the most economically, ethnically and geographically diverse pool of talent ever to apply to UCLA.
Overall, UCLA received a total of more than 137,000 applications from high school seniors and transfer students from other colleges, combined, an 11 percent jump compared with last year.
“It’s exciting to see how many students are interested in UCLA,” said Gary Clark, director of undergraduate admission at UCLA. “That also means months of reading as we are committed to thoroughly and comprehensively evaluating each individual applicant. We’re looking forward to getting to know these students as we review their applications.”
Among transfer students, applications grew by 8.3 percent overall to 23,630, with a 9.2 percent increase from Californians.
Transfer applications from underrepresented students who attend community colleges in California also rose, with a 12.5 jump in applications from African-American transfer students, a 19 percent increase for American Indians and a 16 percent increase for Chicano/Latino students.
“Transfer students are a huge part of our identity at UCLA and continue to enrich the undergraduate experience on our campus,” Clark said. “The experience and perspective they provide in the classroom and in our residence halls is invaluable and shows that there are multiple paths to becoming a Bruin.”
UCLA will notify freshman applicants of admission decisions by April 1, and admitted students will have until May 1 to notify the campus of their intent to register. Transfer students will be notified of admission decisions by April 30 and will have until June 1 to commit.
Tables with system-wide application statistics and data for all nine UC undergraduate campuses are available from the University of California Office of the President.
