DAVIS, Calif. — More students than ever are enrolling in University of California schools, and that includes more students from historically underrepresented groups.
"The vast majority of our students are coming from right here in California," said Robert Penman, UC Davis executive director of Undergraduate Admissions.
It's homegrown talent cultivated in the University of California's own backyard, and a new report shows the system, statewide, enrolled a record-setting number of California students in fall 2023. That number also includes a record number of undergraduates. About 83% of those students are from California.
At UC Davis, Penman said their enrollment target was higher this school year.
"(It) allowed us to welcome more students from right here in our own backyard, right here from the Sacramento area, San Joaquin County, Yolo County, but we're seeing growth all throughout the Central Valley and even up north," said Penman.
They enrolled about 9,200 undergraduates, and 6,500 of those are first year students. 2,600 are transfers.
However, officials said those numbers are no easy feat, considering the decline in community college numbers during the pandemic.
"We were really happy to see some some growth there and getting us closer to meeting that two-to-one threshold that we'd like to see with transfer students and in our first year students," said Penman.
He credited, in part, increased investment in outreach programs that allow prospective students to experience campus life as an Aggie and find a pathway to a college education.
"We want to make sure that we're continuing to serve the students from our own backyard, no matter what your background is... everybody's got a chance to attain a UC degree," said Penman.
UC Davis also said they're very close to reaching a goal of 25% of students identifying as Hispanic. That goal is part of a U.S. Department of Education Initiative awarding more than $40 million to schools that qualify for "Hispanic Serving Institution" (HSI) status.
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