UC San Diego Receives Record Number of Freshman and Transfer Applications

January 14, 2010

By Christine Clark

The University of California, San Diego has received 48,073 freshman applications for Fall 2010, up 1,101 applicants, or 2.3 percent, from the previous year. The 14,286 transfer student applications continued to show an increase to 3,102 students or 27.7 percent from 2009, reflecting a record number of applications from both transfer and freshman.

Applications of both underrepresented freshmen and transfer students increased. Data for UC San Diego freshman applications of underrepresented students for Fall 2010 show a 8.8 percent increase. A total 1,968 African-Americans (up 20.6 percent), 8,269 Latino and Mexican American (up 5.8 percent) and 324 Native Americans (up 25.1 percent), applied for the Fall 2010 quarter.

“We are pleased to have received a record number of applications from a highly talented and diverse group of students,” said Chancellor Marye Anne Fox. “The academic quality of our applicant pool continues to be outstanding.”

Mae Brown, assistant vice chancellor for Admissions and Enrollment Services, also noted the impressive academic achievements of the freshman applicants.  “The mean high school grade point average (GPA) is a 3.78,” she said. “And the number of A-G courses completed, as well as other indicators suggests that this is indeed, a well-prepared applicant pool.”

UC San Diego is one of the top three University of California campuses that received the highest number of applications. Brown attributes the record number of applications to the university’s excellent faculty, students, academic programs, national reputation and incredible location. UC San Diego is ranked the 7th best public university in the nation by U.S. News and World Report and has been named the “hottest” institution to study science by Newsweek. UC San Diego also was recently ranked the “best value” university in California, according to the list of 100 best values in public colleges and universities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.

In addition to the increases in underrepresented students, more than 32 percent of the transfer applicants are first-generation college students. 

Approximately 4,272 or 8.9 percent of the freshman applicants are from San Diego and Imperial Counties. The largest percentage of the freshman applicants, at 44.6 percent, come from Los Angeles, followed by San Francisco at 22.3 percent.

The most popular majors chosen by freshman applicants are biology, chemistry, psychology, economics and political science.  In addition to those majors, communication is a popular field of study for transfer applicants.

The UC system received an increase in applications from both freshmen and transfers. Approximately 100,320 (up 2.4 percent) freshmen and 33,709 (up 17.5 percent) transfer students applied for Fall 2010.

All UC campuses are continuing to see more women than men among the freshman and transfer applicants, with UC San Diego recording 51.1 percent females compared to 47.6 percent males. Approximately 26.8 percent of the applicant pool are the first in their family to attend college.

---
About UC San Diego
Founded in 1960, the University of California, San Diego is ranked the 7th best public university in the nation by U.S. News and World Report and has been named the “hottest” institution to study science by Newsweek. UC San Diego is one of the nation’s most accomplished research universities, widely acknowledged for its local impact, national influence and global reach. Renowned for its collaborative, diverse and cross-disciplinary ethos that transcends traditional boundaries in science, arts and the humanities, the university attracts stellar faculty, students and staff.  For more information, please visit www.ucsd.edu.

Media Contact: Christine Clark, 858-534-7618 or ceclark@ucsd.edu