With their growth reflecting dramatic demographic change in the nation’s most populous state, Latinos this academic year became the largest ethnic group among California applicants for the 2013-14 freshman class at the nine University of California system schools. The development coincides with the number of applications from California increasing 6.2 percent over last year to reach an all-time high of 99,129, the University of California (UC) system has reported.
On average, California residents applied to four UC campuses.
Total freshman applications, including those from out-of-state and international students, hit 139,758 for the system. The number of out-of-state and international freshman applicants increased 15 percent and 34 percent respectively. Each of the nine UC campuses experienced an increase in freshman applicants from the previous year, according to University of California data.
“This is the ninth year of record all-time highs. In general, students are applying to more colleges, whether they’re hedging their bets or what have you,” UC system spokeswoman Dianne Klein told the Los Angeles Times.
Among California residents seeking Fall 2013 UC admission, applications from all ethnic groups increased in total numbers. Latino student applications went from 30.1 percent last year to 32.1 percent, the highest percentage of all ethnic groups among California freshman applicants. Asia- Americans made up about 30.9 percent of freshman applicants, down from 32.2 percent last year. White students were 27.1 percent of freshman applicants and Black students were 6 percent.
Among individual schools, UC Santa Cruz saw the largest jump with a 16.9 percent increase in freshman applicants. UC Merced had the second biggest applicant jump at 16.6 percent, and UC Berkeley experienced the lowest applicant increase at 9.7 percent. As usual, UCLA had the highest total number of applications with 99,559 freshman and transfer applicants.
In addition, 45.7 percent of freshman applicants, if successful as UC students, said they would be the first in their families to complete college, a jump from 44.5 percent from last year.
