UC San Diego Admits Record 52,946 Students

SAN DIEGO, CA — The University of California, San Diego admitted a record 52,946 students — 40,616 freshman and 12,330 transfer students — for its fall 2021 quarter, the school announced on Monday.

New students were admitted from a pool of more than 140,000 applicants — the second-most in the nation. More than one-third of first-year students and over half of transfer students admitted to the university are first-generation college students, the campus said.

Arlette Fajardo Rodriguez, who will attend UCSD in the fall, will be the first in her family to go to college. She told the university that she plans to help those who suffer from brain disorders after attaining a degree in neurobiology.

"I am looking forward to meeting like-minded individuals who strive to achieve their goals," Rodriguez said.

The Chula Vista resident said she always knew she wanted to attend college but was unsure whether her family would be able to afford it since her father's health prevented him from being able to work. With the help of the Chancellor's Associates Scholarship, the university said her education "was secured."

"[The scholarship] has not only brought relief, but also motivation to continue following my dreams," she told the university.

UCSD admitted the most transfer students — and the most transfer students from California with 10,177 — among all the University of California campuses. Of those students, more than 5,400 come from low-income families and more than 3,000 come from "underrepresented" groups, the school said in a statement.

The historic number reflects an 11 percent jump statewide in freshman UC admissions over 2020, rising to 132,353 from 119,054. UC Admissions are increasing across California as the state emerges from pandemic restrictions.

Admission of California freshmen reached an all-time record high this year with 84,223 students, an increase of 5.34 percent over the 79,953 from 2020. Students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups also made up 43 percent of admitted California freshmen, the highest proportion of an incoming undergraduate class and the greatest number in UC history at 36,462.

This year, 35 percent of UCSD's admitted first-year students are from an underrepresented group, a growth of 8 percent since 2020. Among historically underrepresented first-year applicants from California, the campus admitted 13.7 percent more Black students and 12.6 percent more Native American students than the previous year.

UCSD also admitted 6,449 — 23.2 percent more — first-year students who identify as Latino. This represents 30 percent of all first-year students admitted for fall 2021, up from 23 percent of all first-year students admitted last year, fall 2020. A total of 2,527 transfer students who identify as Latino were also admitted, making up 26 percent of all transfer student admits.

What's more, nearly half — 46 percent — of all undergraduate students admitted for the fall quarter come from low-income households.

This fall, newly admitted and returning students will be able to once again attend lectures in-person, resume Division 1 Athletic games, participate in peer-led tutoring sessions and conduct research alongside faculty members.

The university's Return to Learn program, an initiative that uses tactics such as vaccination, self-administered COVID-19 testing and wastewater monitoring — has been one reason the campus community has posted relatively low positivity rates, according to UCSD officials.

"Over the past year our university has proactively responded to the COVID-19 pandemic to enable our students to resume classes, research opportunities and social activities in-person this fall," said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. "We look forward to welcoming a new cohort of talented students to UC San Diego who will bring strong problem-solving capabilities, diverse worldviews and a renewed zest for learning."

City News Service contributed to this report.