UC Merced sees record fall applicants, amid statewide surge in first-year applications
UC Merced this week reported a new record for fall semester applications, as schools in the nine-campus University of California system report system-wide gains in first-year applications.
The increase in applicants to the newest UC campus totaled 26,043, up from 25,458 for the fall 2021 number — an increase of roughly 2.3%.
Another 4,004 students applied as transfer students this year, with 3,664 applying to transfer from one of the California Community College system’s 116 campuses.
“Our growing attractiveness to young scholars is a reflection of our commitment to student success,” said UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sanchez Munoz in a news release.
“As the youngest university in the UC system, we pride ourselves on our innovative approach to providing world-class teaching and research opportunities that help our students thrive.”
The size of UC Merced’s student body is currently 9,093 students, of which 8.5 percent are graduate students.
The news comes as the UC system overall reported breaking records for first-year fall applications, for the second consecutive year, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The surge comes amid the elimination of standardized test requirements and greater online outreach by UC officials, with the result being the largest and most diverse applicant pool, according to data in the Los Angeles Times report.
About 55% of students who applied for admission to UC Merced for the coming fall semester come from underrepresented groups, making UC Merced the campus with the highest percentage of underrepresented students applying for the coming school year, according to the news release.
UC Merced also received the highest number of California residents applying for admission out of any campus in the UC system, at 86% of all applicants.
The UC system’s first-year college applications for fall 2022 numbered 210,840 — a .5% increase over last fall.
Despite the gains, the UC system reported an overall drop of 12.6% in transfer applications system-wide, the Los Angeles Times reported. That follows continued declines in community college enrollment nationwide.
This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 5:00 AM.