More than 119,000 students have applied for admission to UCLA for fall 2016. Together, they represent the most geographically, ethnically and racially diverse applicant pool in UCLA’s history.
The record number of applications, which includes more than 97,000 prospective freshmen and more than 22,000 prospective transfer students, again makes UCLA the most applied-to four-year university in the nation.
The number of applications increased by 4.7 percent among freshman applicants and 4.2 percent for transfer students. Applications surged among California residents, and among out-of-state and international students.
UCLA continued to attract large numbers of California applicants who would be the first in their family to graduate from a four-year college (41 percent) and students from low-income families (39 percent).
UCLA also experienced healthy increases in applications from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented on campus. The number of applications from prospective African-American freshmen increased by 5 percent from last year, while the number of Chicano/Latino and Native American applicants grew by 8 percent and 3 percent, respectively.
Applications from Asian-American and white students for the freshman class remained relatively consistent with last year’s figures.
“These numbers show that our relentless efforts to recruit students from every corner of the state are bearing fruit,” said Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, UCLA’s associate vice chancellor for enrollment management. “They also show that our message to low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students — that they, too, have a place at UCLA — is getting through. As one of the premier public higher education institutions in the state and the world, UCLA is proud of its long-standing commitment to providing access to students who reflect the broad diversity of California.”
Despite the growth in the number of applications this year, the quality of UCLA’s applicant pool — as measured by traditional indicators of academic performance, such as GPA and admission test scores — also increased.
To evaluate applicants, UCLA uses a comprehensive holistic review process that ensures a thorough review of each application and takes into account the context of each applicant’s educational and personal experiences.
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 posted at the University of California Office of the President website.