Early numbers show freshman applications for fall 2017 at University of California, Riverside have increased by 4.5 percent, from 41,557 to 43,433. The figure exceeds the 3.1 percent increase reported across the UC system, and represents a longstanding upward trend in applications to UCR, which saw an increase of more than 3,000 applications from fall 2015 to fall 2016.
“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 like UC Riverside,” said Emily Engelschall, UCR’s director of undergraduate admissions. “As the popularity and reputation of the Riverside campus continues to grow, more Californians are able to learn about UC Riverside’s exceptional story.”
The number of applications shows a 6 percent increase in applications from California high school seniors—mirroring the in-state increase across the nine University of California undergraduate campuses. UCR showed modest decreases in out-of-state and international student applications, also a UC-wide trend.
Among California applicants, UCR shows modest increases in applications by first-generation college students—students whose parents do not have a four-year degree—and students from low-income families, which are families with a household income of $50,002 or less.
Across the nine UC undergraduate campuses, early numbers show a 3.1 percent increase in all freshman applications, with a record-setting 171,449 prospective freshman applying for admission. More than 111,600 California high school seniors applied for admission for fall 2017, a 6 percent increase over this past year. In 2015, UC President Janet Napolitano announced a goal of enrolling an additional 10,000 California undergraduates over three years.
Fall 2017 applications to UC schools from out-of-state students dropped 2.8 percent, and international student applications dropped by 1 percent.
Official application numbers will be released in January 2017. Freshman applications closed Nov. 30. For the second year, the UC system extended its application deadline for transfer students, this year from Nov. 30 to Jan. 3.
UCR has a 2016 enrollment of 22,991, including 19,799 undergraduate students. The UC system has a total enrollment of 270,112 students. Of those, 210,170 are undergraduates.