Freshmen Applications to UCR Increase

The number of high school students seeking admission to UC Riverside for the fall 2017 term was 4.5 percent higher than the previous year, campus officials said Monday.

Prospective enrollees numbered 43,433, compared to 41,557 who sought admission for the 2016 academic year, University of California data showed.

"The increase that UC Riverside saw this year in our freshman applicant pool demonstrates, in real numbers, that high school students and their families from across the state understand the variety of opportunities available to them at a world-class institution," said Emily Engelschall, campus director of undergraduate admissions.

"As the popularity and reputation of the campus continues to grow, more Californians are able to learn about UC Riverside's exceptional story."

The upward spike in applications corresponded with activity throughout the nine-campus UC system, where a record 171,449 students sought admission as freshmen.

UC President Janet Napolitano said that the figures affirmed "demand for a UC education keeps getting stronger."

"This is a testament to the excellence of California's public research university, and reinforces the imperative to continue working with our state government to preserve UC's quality and affordability, and to ensure there is a place at the university for every deserving California student," she said.

Of the 43,433 applications to UCR submitted by the Nov. 30 deadline, 38,628 were in-state applicants, a 6 percent increase from 2015.

The number of international students applying to UCR -- 3,601 -- dropped 2.2 percent compared to last year, while the number of out-of-state U.S. residents filing freshmen applications -- 1,204 -- slipped almost 13 percent, according to UC figures.

Transfer students' applications will be processed next month.

Freshmen applicants will be notified of admissions decisions by April 1, and transfer students will be informed by May 1, officials said.

Across the nine-campus UC system, 111,600 of the 171,449 applications came from California high school seniors, a 6 percent increase over 2015. The UC system has set a goal of enrolling an additional 10,000 California students over three years.

– By City News Service / Image via Shutterstock