UC Riverside has admitted a record number of freshmen for fall 2021 with a total of 34,671 admits — an increase of 1,964 students from the year before, according to data released by the University of California on July 19. Among the nine UC undergraduate campuses, UCR admitted the most California residents — 29,004 — to its freshman class.

“I am gratified to see that UCR continues to serve as a leading access point to the University of California for residents of the state, and I am looking forward to welcoming our newest Highlanders to campus in a few weeks to engage and connect with the entire UCR community in-person,” said Emily Engelschall, UCR’s interim associate vice chancellor for Enrollment Services.

In recognition of COVID-19 challenges, the University of California made temporary adjustments to admissions requirements, including suspending the letter-grade requirement for high school classes taken in winter, spring, or summer terms of 2020 and the full 2020–21 academic year. UC also provided flexibility for students who needed more time to meet registration, deposit, and transcript deadlines last year.

Transfer admissions to UCR were nearly identical to last year with 9,236 admissions in 2020 and 9,222 in 2021.

At UCR, the number of freshman students admitted from underrepresented communities set a new record, with underrepresented students representing 44% of total admissions. Latino students admitted climbed to 39%, virtually on par with UCR’s largest student population, Asian students, who comprised 41% of those admitted. The only of the nine UC undergraduate campuses to admit a higher percentage of underrepresented students was Merced.

The percentage of low-income students admitted to UCR increased by two percentages points, to 49% of admits. The total number of low-income students admitted, including transfers, was 53%. First-generation admissions held steady with 2020 numbers at 49% of total admissions.

Systemwide, freshman admissions in the University of California increased from 119,054 to 132,353, an 11% jump. Admissions offers to California freshmen increased from 79,953 for fall 2020 to 84,223 for fall 2021, an increase of 5.34%. Fall 2021 freshman applications from California were up 13%, foretelling the admissions jump.

The tally of fall 2021 new-student numbers in the UC system will not be available for another few months, after students have finalized their decisions and enrolled in classes.