Jan 9, 2025 Story by: Editor
The University of California has set a new record for enrolling Californians for the Fall 2024 semester. This achievement comes as UC Berkeley, along with UCLA, defied the national trend seen in elite institutions, where Black and Latino student enrollment has dropped following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate affirmative action in college admissions.
The figures, released on Tuesday, January 7, show that the UC system, which spans nine campuses, has been under intense public pressure to increase its enrollment of Californians. The ongoing discussion centered on how the system’s racial composition would be impacted in a state where race and gender are no longer considered in public university admissions.
A total of 198,718 California residents enrolled at UC undergraduate campuses for the academic year beginning in Fall 2024. California students made up 84.2% of the 236,070 undergraduates, compared to 83.5% the previous year.
Among these, 60,644 were first-year and transfer students from California, with six campuses seeing an increase in the number of local students. UC San Diego had the largest rise, from 8,436 to 8,907.
“The University of California is committed to expanding access and opportunity, helping our state’s brightest students from all backgrounds realize the value and promise of a UC degree,” said UC President Michael V. Drake. “These enrollment figures reflect the state’s investment in California students and the dedication of our staff, faculty and campus leaders to providing a world-class education.”
However, three campuses experienced a decline in California enrollment. UC Irvine saw a drop from 7,848 to 7,541 among first-year and transfer students. UC Riverside decreased from 6,390 to 6,371, and UC Merced saw a decrease from 2,610 to 2,283. Despite this, UC Merced, the newest UC campus, remains predominantly composed of California residents, with nearly 99% of its undergraduate population coming from within the state.
The number of out-of-state and international students also continued to decrease, accounting for 37,352 students, or 15.8% of the undergraduate population, a drop of over one percentage point from Fall 2023.
The UC system had been criticized in recent years for enrolling more out-of-state students who pay higher tuition fees. Following public pressure, UC started admitting more California residents, enrolling thousands more in recent academic years. UC leaders have committed to increasing California student enrollment by 3,000 each year through 2026-27 as part of a “compact” with the governor’s office.
Regarding racial diversity, the data indicated growth in most racial and ethnic groups across UC campuses. Asian American students made up the largest group, with 36.3% of undergraduates, followed by Latinos at 26.7%. White students saw a slight decline to 19.8%, while Black student enrollment grew to 4.8%, an increase of 494 students, bringing the total to 11,257. Native American students saw a slight increase to 0.6%, while Pacific Islander enrollment remained stable at 0.2%.
Among first-year and transfer students, the number of Asian American, Black, and Native American students increased. However, the number of Latino first-year and transfer students slightly decreased, from 19,504 to 19,418, as did white students, from 14,305 to 14,172.
The number of newly enrolled Black students, including both first-year and transfer students, increased from 3,412 to 3,532, a rise that contrasts with national trends where Black student enrollment has declined in many elite U.S. colleges after the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action.
In Fall 2024, Black student enrollment at UC Berkeley rose by seven to 400 students, representing 4.4% of the class. Asian American students saw a decrease of 17 students to 3,698, while Latino students dropped by 55 to 1,971, though their proportion of the class grew to 21.9%.
At UCLA, the number of new Black students increased by 33, bringing the total to 717, or 6.9% of the first-year and transfer enrollment. The number of Asian American students grew by 37 to 3,523, while Latino students increased by 96, bringing the total to 2,584, or 24.7% of new students.
According to data from Education Reform Now, a nonpartisan, nonprofit educational group, 30 of the 37 top U.S. universities and colleges reported a decline in Black student enrollment, and 23 saw drops in Latino enrollment in Fall 2024.
In addition to the racial diversity figures, the report highlighted a second consecutive year of increased enrollment among low-income students. The number of students receiving federal Pell Grants, which provide financial assistance to those from families with low incomes, rose by 7,180, totaling 85,772 UC students.
Pell Grants do not require repayment and are awarded to students from families with limited financial resources. For the 2024-25 academic year, the maximum Pell Grant award is $7,395.
Han Mi Yoon-Wu, associate vice provost for Systemwide Undergraduate Admissions, noted, “The students behind these numbers come from all corners of California and are proof that there are many paths to a UC education.” She added, “The University of California is committed to making UC accessible to the best students.” Source: AOL
