More prospective students sought admission to UC Riverside this school year than ever before.

The number of applicants to be first-year students for fall 2025 surged by 23.2%, reaching a record 70,578, according to data released by the UC Office of the President. This increase from the year before follows previous records for applicants for the falls of 2024 and 2023, with 57,420 and 56,462 applicants, respectively.

UCR also saw continued growth in transfer applications, receiving 12,326 — a 2.4% increase from the previous year — primarily from California community colleges.

“The record-setting number of applications shows the appeal of a UC Riverside degree,” said UCR Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox. “The UCR model of combining academic excellence with broad student support is extremely attractive to those seeking education with longstanding impact.”

UCR’s substantial increase in applications was driven in part by the UCR Choice Program — a new initiative that provided college applicants who had already applied to other UC campuses with additional time to also apply to UCR.

“Through programs like UCR Choice, we are expanding access and ensuring that more students have the opportunity to explore all that UCR has to offer,” said Veronica Zendejas,  UCR’s director of undergraduate admissions.

The number of applicants was also boosted by student interest in UCR’s new major in business analytics at the School of Business, which received 5,110 applications in its inaugural year. Additionally, the major in education, society, and human development in the School of Education saw remarkable growth, with a 43% increase in applications, Zendejas said.

UCR’s application growth contrasts with an overall decline in applications to the UC system, where the nine undergraduate campuses collectively saw a 0.5% decrease, totaling 249,824 applications. This includes 205,158 first-year applications and 44,666 transfer applications.

With 61,259 of its first-year applicants from California, UCR tied with UC Merced for the highest percentage of in-state applicants among UC’s nine undergraduate campuses, both at 87%. Most UC campuses fall within a range of 57% to 69% for in-state applications.

UCR also has the second-highest percentages among the UCs in two other categories: first-year students from low-income families, 47%, and applicants who would be first-generation college students, 47%. UC Merced ranked first in the categories, with 49% and 51%, respectively.

Additional details about the University of California’s fall 2024 applicants can be found at: https://www.ucop.edu/institutional-research-academic-planning/content-analysis/ug-admissions/ug-data.html.