In Pursuit of Knowledge

Continuing a decades-long trend, UC Santa Barbara has set a record for the number of first-year and transfer students seeking admission to the seaside campus.

UCSB has received 85,208 applications for undergraduate admission for fall 2015, an increase of more than 5 percent over last year. Of those, 70,532 are from prospective first-year students and 14,676 are from applicants seeking to transfer to UCSB.

With 11 national centers and institutes, and more than 100 research units, UCSB offers unparalleled learning opportunities for undergraduate students. The world-class faculty includes six Nobel Laureates, two Academy and Emmy Award winners, and a Millennium Technology Prize recipient.

In terms of academic quality, prospective UCSB students continue to be among the best of the best. Of the 70,532 applicants for the entering class, 37 percent have a high-school grade point average (GPA) of 4.0 or higher. The academic profile as measured by GPA and SAT continues to rise, making the 2015 applicant pool the most competitive in UCSB history.

The number of California freshman applicants increased by 1,126 — 2.2 percent over 2014, for a total of 52,112. Applications from out-of-state students went up by 16.3 percent to 7,490.

“We are particularly pleased to see applications increase among California students, as we dramatically increased our outreach services throughout the state,” said Lisa Przekop, director of admissions. “This fall, staff members visited approximately 800 schools and made contact with more than 60,000 California students. Our counselors answered general application questions, assisted students with their personal statements, discussed financial aid options, and promoted the amazing academic programs at UCSB.”

UCSB also continues to attract a diverse pool of prospective students. The campus received a total of 19,980 freshman applications from African-American, Native American, and Chicano and Latino applicants combined. This represents 41 percent of the applicant pool. In addition, 56 percent of all applicants for the UCSB freshman class are members of a racial or ethnic minority group.

Among transfer students, 89 percent of the 14,676 applicants are currently enrolled in a California community college. A total of 3,636 transfer applications were received from members of underrepresented minority groups, which represents a 2 percent increase over last year. Members of underrepresented minority groups account for 27 percent of all transfer applicants this year.

“We strive to recruit and admit students who reflect California’s rich diversity,” said Przekop. “The students from this applicant pool who ultimately enroll at UCSB will join a student community that represents many different academic interests and career aspirations. The common thread among all students is that they will receive a degree from a world-class university and use their UCSB experiences to make positive changes in the world.”

The UC system received a record 193,873 applications — 158,146 from freshman applicants and 35,727 from prospective transfer students. This represents an increase of 6.5 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively. All nine UC undergraduate campuses experienced increases in freshman applicants. The UC Office of the President today posted statistics on undergraduate applications to all campuses. They can be found at https://www.ucop.edu/student-affairs/data-and-reporting/index.html