UC admits 'largest, most diverse class' in history for fall 2024

BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- The University of California system is celebrating a major milestone. They announced on Wednesday that the university has admitted its "largest and most diverse class" in its history.

The University says this is driven by significant increases in the number of California residents, underrepresented students and community college transfer students offered fall admission.

"It's part of our mission of the University of California is to really be a change agent for the state and to represent the broad diversity of the state," said Han Mi Yoon-Wu, the associate vice provost and executive director of Undergraduate Admissions for the University of California.

The UC system says the number of first-year students admitted from underrepresented groups has grown by 2,772 students.

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That's up by 1.2% from last school year.

Yoon-Wu says dropping test requirements for undergraduate admissions during the pandemic has expanded access.

"Having the standardized test requirement can serve as a deterrent to students, they'll self-select out or based on what they believe might be a low score and so not having the requirement really opens the doors to a lot of students," she said.

It's welcome news to Aadi Sengupta and his parents.

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"Just going to a diverse college is huge to me because I'll be exposed to a bunch of different perspectives and I'll be able to apply lessons I've learned from different people of different backgrounds in my own life," Sengupta said.

They flew out all the way from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for college tours, starting with UC Berkeley.

His parents immigrated from India long before he was born.

"When I was fresh off the boat, I saw how this country adapts and accepts so that's a great thing," said Jett Sengupta, Aadi's dad.

"I think it makes a big difference when the school is inclusive and very open to accepting and accommodating students across all races so it's huge," said Malabika Sen, Aadi's mom.

While Steven Mercer, an independent educational consultant, says this has been a longtime goal for universities nationwide, both public and private.

"They know that if you can put people into a college community where there's a diverse exchange of ideas, where people might be a little out of their comfort zones, not in a bad way but a good way, but stretch and be exposed to different ways of life," Mercer said. "That's one of the most fundamental benefits of higher education."

University of California applications for fall of 2025 open up on Thursday.