UC Admits All-Time High Number of Students

Record Admissions at the University of California Amid Challenges

The University of California (UC) has made headlines by admitting a record number of first-year students for the upcoming academic year. With 100,947 new first-year college students from California, this represents an increase of more than 7% compared to the previous year. Additionally, the university system welcomed 22,230 international students, despite the challenges posed by the Trump administration’s policies on immigration.

UC President Michael Drake highlighted the significance of these numbers, stating that they reflect the recognition of the value of a UC education among Californians. “Our latest admissions numbers demonstrate that families across our state recognize that UC degrees prepare students for a lifetime of meaningful contributions in their communities and far beyond,” he said. Drake is set to step down at the end of July, returning to research and teaching.

According to preliminary admission data, the UC system accepted nearly 73% of all first-year applicants. The university also saw a 17% increase in international student admissions, who typically pay full tuition fees. This growth comes amid the Trump administration’s stricter visa policies, including enhanced screening, a travel ban, and the revocation of student visas. These measures have raised concerns about declining international enrollment at universities nationwide.

Financial pressures are also mounting for the UC system. The university faces cuts in federal research funding and proposed state budget reductions. An April lawsuit filed by the California attorney general and 15 other states alleged that the National Institutes of Health ended $37 million in research funds to UC. In response to these threats, UC announced a systemwide hiring freeze in March.

Earlier this spring, UC officials warned state lawmakers that the system would have to enroll fewer new California students if the state proceeded with an 8% budget cut. However, Governor Gavin Newsom reduced the proposed cut to 3% in the May budget revision.

In addition to increasing international student admissions, UC also admitted 9% more non-California resident applicants. This trend coincides with a significant rise in nonresident tuition fees, which increased by over $3,400 last year. Limited financial aid is available for out-of-state students, and international students generally do not qualify for student loans or many scholarships.

Overall, UC admitted 180,382 students for fall 2025, marking an approximately 8% increase from the previous year. This total includes both transfer students and first-time college students.

UC Berkeley, known for its competitive admissions, admitted just over 20,000 students for fall 2025, an increase of more than 8% compared to the previous year. The university’s acceptance rate was roughly 13%. About 10% of Cal’s first-year admitted students were international, with the total number of international students nearly doubling from 735 to 1,463.

UC Santa Cruz admitted nearly 57,100 students for fall 2025, with an acceptance rate of about 73%. The university admitted approximately 2,000 more students than the previous year. Around 10% of its first-year admitted students were international, though the number of international students offered admission was slightly lower than the previous year.

UC acknowledged that the percentage of students who accept and enroll in an offer is lower for non-California and international students. At UC Berkeley, only about half of accepted international students enrolled in the fall 2024 semester, while UC Santa Cruz saw just over 4% of accepted international students enroll. On a systemwide level, about 25% of accepted first-year international students enrolled.

The new data also shows that UC admitted about 77% of all first-year California student applicants for fall 2025. The number of students from lower-income families, transfers from California community colleges, and first-generation students continued to rise. Approximately 42% of accepted first-year California students are first-generation college students, with similar percentages at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz.

Despite the Trump administration’s efforts to limit diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, the data reveals increases in the number of admitted students across all racial groups: Black, Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander, white, and "unknown."