More than 15,000 high school seniors and 5,300 transfer applicants were offered admission at UCLA this fall, representing the university’s most academically accomplished class and one of its most diverse.
“Academically, the credentials of the admitted fall 2021 freshman class exceed those of any previous class, as measured by unweighted and weighted GPA and the number of completed honors, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and University of California-required A-G courses,’’ according to UCLA.
The UCLA figures were part of a record-breaking number of freshman admission across the University of California system.
System-wide, freshman admissions jumped 11 percent over 2020, rising to 132,353 from 119,054. Admission of California freshmen reached an all-time high with 84,223 students, an increase of 5.34 percent over the 79,953 from 2020.
The UC system and UCLA are growing in terms of the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of admitted freshman and transfers, with a significant jump in the number of students from groups that have been historically underrepresented on campus.
Latino students are the largest ethnic group in the UC system, representing 37 percent of admitted California freshmen for a second time, up nearly 9 percent to 31,220 from 28,662, following the previous record in 2020.
System-wide, admissions of Black students grew by 15.6 percent, rising to 4,608 from 3,987 in 2020. Meanwhile, admission of California freshmen who would be first-generation college students held steady at 45 percent.
“These remarkable numbers are a testament to the hard work and resiliency of students and their families across California,’’ said UC President Michael V. Drake. “I am particularly heartened by the social and economic diversity of those offered a place at UC. Fall will be an exciting time on our campuses.’’
Among admitted U.S. freshman at UCLA, the number of Black students increased by 21 percent over last year, from approximately 750 to more than 900, while the number of Chicano/Latino students grew by 7 percent, from approximately 2,430 to more than 2,600. The number of admitted Pacific Islander freshman students more than doubled, and American Indian freshman admissions rose by 28 percent. Asian American and White prospective freshmen accounted for 41 percent and 27 percent of U.S. admissions, respectively.
Altogether, students from historically underrepresented groups make up 34 percent of all admitted California-resident freshmen—the highest proportion at UCLA in over 30 years.
