University of California Reports Record In-State Enrollment for Fall 2023
Credit: Photo Credit: Margaret Attridge- The University of California’s fall 2023 enrollment data shows an increase in in-state enrollment.
- The system has almost 296,000 students enrolled, 194,000 of which are California residents, an increase of some 4,000 students compared to last year.
- UC Davis, UCLA, UC San Diego, and Berkeley had the highest in-state enrollment.
The University of California (UC) enrolled more California residents during the fall 2023 semester than ever before, marking a new record for the university as it tries to meet state leaders’ wishes to step up in-state enrollment.
About 4,000 more in-state undergraduate students got a coveted spot at a UC campus compared to last year, according to fall 2023 enrollment data released by the university.
UC enrolled 233,272 undergraduate students across all 10 campuses — 83.4%, or 194,571, of which were California residents. The number of in-state first-year students also increased to just over 42,000 students, the largest-ever class of in-state students.
UC San Diego, Los Angeles, and Berkeley had the largest increases in California undergraduate students, along with boasting high in-state enrollment overall. Only one campus, UC Riverside, reported a decrease in resident undergraduates.
Nonresident undergraduate student enrollment dropped, led by a decrease in international student enrollment, although the number of domestic, out-of-state students did increase by less than a thousand students.
California state leaders have focused on increasing in-state student enrollment at UC campuses.
The 2022 Budget Act included funds to support two initiatives to increase California resident enrollment including $51.5 million to increase in-state undergraduate enrollment over two years and an additional $31 million to fund the lost tuition revenue from replacing 902 nonresident undergraduate students with resident students at UC San Diego, Los Angeles, and Berkeley.
UC also has a multiyear agreement with California Gov. Gavin Newsom to increase in-state enrollment, among other goals, in exchange for 5% annual budget increases over the next five years.
The increase in funding was first proposed in 2022 by Newsom as a way to work toward shared goals, including making college more affordable, increasing enrollment of California residents, and improving graduation rates.
Newsom recently sought to defer funds for both initiatives in his proposed 2024-2025 state budget to offset an expected state deficit of $37.9 billion.
Additional Enrollment Data
UC also saw an increase in undergraduate students who identify as Asian, African American, American Indian, Hispanic/Latino(a), and Pacific Islander. The number of white undergraduate students decreased slightly.
Students who identify as LGBTQ+ also increased compared to past years, with noticeable increases in the number of students who identify as bisexual or nonbinary.
Additionally, the number of students receiving Pell Grants increased slightly from 2022 to 2023, despite the percentage being less compared to past years. UC Irvine, Riverside, and San Diego had the largest number of students receiving Pell Grants, while UC Merced and UC Riverside had the highest percentage of students receiving the funding.