UCLA saw a record number of applications for fall 2015 admission, with more than 112,000 students applying from many different backgrounds, states and countries, but the overall demographics of California applicants changed very little.
The number of applicants increased by 6.5 percent overall from last year, with about 92,680 first-year and about 20,060 transfer applicants. Individuals of nearly all races applied in higher numbers except for Native Americans, whose number of applications decreased from 506 to 478.
The largest growth was among black applicants, whose numbers rose by 13 percent.
Of the applicant pool, 41.2 percent of applicants would be first-generation college students, and 38.1 percent came from low-income households.
The number of Latino applicants rose by 5.6 percent, the number of Asian applicants increased by 4.8 percent and the number of white applicants grew by 5.4 percent.
Because nearly every group of applicants increased, the makeup of the California resident prospective class changed very little. No ethnic group saw a change that made its representation in the overall first-year applicant pool of California residents fall or rise by more than 0.8 percent of the overall makeup.
The number of first-year and transfer applicants both rose, by 7.2 and 3.7 percent, respectively.
University of California-wide applicants numbered 193,873, and UCLA saw the largest volume of applicants, making it the most applied-to four-year university in the country. UC Berkeley received the second and UC San Diego received the third highest numbers.
“The data show that the University of California continues to draw unprecedented numbers of top-notch students eager to learn and contribute,” said UC President Janet Napolitano in a statement. “Students and their families recognize the value of a UC education, and we are honored by their vote of confidence.”
Prospective students applied to an average of four UC campuses, with Merced seeing the largest percentage increase in applications.
Compiled by Jillian Frankel, Bruin contributor.