The UC admitted a record number of California resident first-year students for the 2026-27 admissions cycle, according to data released Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The University admitted 153,272 first-year students from a pool of more than 205,000 applicants. The UC also admitted 102,031 California resident first-year students \u2013 1,458 more than it did for the 2025-26 cycle \u2013 and the systemwide admission rate for California residents increased from 77% to 78%.\u00a0<\/p>\n
UCLA \u2013 which has been the most applied-to school in the United States for several years \u2013 admitted 15,903 first-year students, resulting in an admissions rate of about 10.8%. The first-year admission rate for the 2025-26 academic year was 9.4%.<\/p>\n
UCLA also admitted 6,796 transfer applicants, resulting in a transfer admission rate of about 22.2%. Eighty-five percent of UCLA\u2019s transfer admits were California residents, and 92% transferred from California community colleges.<\/p>\n
Fifty-seven percent of UCLA\u2019s first-year admits were California residents, down from 63% during the 2025-26 cycle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The data reflects the University\u2019s efforts to expand educational opportunities for students across the state, UC President James Milliken said in a Wednesday press release.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor generations, a University of California education has been one of the state\u2019s most powerful engines of social mobility, opening doors for talented students from every background and region of the state,\u201d Milliken said in the press release. \u201cThe record number of California students we\u2019re welcoming this year reflects UC\u2019s enduring commitment to expanding opportunity while preparing the next generation of leaders, innovators, educators and public servants.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This increase aligns with the UC and California State University systems\u2019 compact with Gov. Gavin Newsom. Under the compact, the University must increase California undergraduate enrollment by at least 1% annually for five years to receive increases in state funding.<\/p>\n
In line with the compact, the University created the UC 2030 Capacity Plan, which aims to increase California resident undergraduate enrollment by 17,000 students.\u00a0<\/p>\n
[Related: Gov. Gavin Newsom signs state budget, granting UC $350 million funding increase<\/a>]<\/p>\n The UC also saw domestic out-of-state students and international students increase by around 5.4% and 6.5%, respectively.<\/p>\n The University saw a similar uptick in international student admissions last year, which could be a response to declining enrollment<\/a> among the group in the wake of the Trump administration\u2019s visa restrictions.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Trump administration revoked the visas of at least 19 UCLA students and alumni in April 2025. The federal government announced later that month that it would restore the visas while U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement developed a consistent \u201cframework for status record termination.\u201d<\/p>\n