UC Riverside admitted a total of 71,069 first-year and transfer students for fall 2025, a new record. It far exceeded the previous record of 51,345, set last year.

"Offering admission to more students this year reflects our deep commitment to expanding opportunities for students who aspire to attend a world-class university, like UCR,” said Veronica Zendejas, undergraduate admissions director. “We’re growing in a way that’s intentional and student-centered, with new programs, expanded housing, and investments that enhance the undergraduate experience across the board.”

UCR was the leader among UCs in terms of admitting first-year students, with 61,718, far surpassing its first-year admits of 44,328 the previous year. It also led the UCs in admitting California students, with 53,379. That was almost 12,000 more first-year California residents than at any other UC campus.

For its first-year class, UCR led the nine undergraduate UC campuses in admitting first-generation students and low-income students.

Zendejas said the increase is a product of both an admissions initiative and the addition of several new majors that proved attractive to applicants. Among those is the School of Business’s Business Analytics major, launched on the strength of the school’s new 63,500-square-foot instructional building. 

The North District 2 apartment community will open this fall with 1,500 new units, and Zendejas said that provided assurance UCR could accommodate housing for the student influx.

Admissions for fall 2025 set a new UC-wide record for first-year California students, with 100,947. Systemwide, the university accepted 149,368 first-year students. The number of California first-year students admitted increased by more than 7% from fall 2024, up from last year’s 93,990 offers.

The first-year admission rates across the UC system for California students increased to 77%, from 70% the previous year. This all-time high of California first-year admitted students represents an increase of more than 39,700 since 2015.

“We continue to experience significant growth — a clear indication that Californians recognize the value of a UC degree,” said UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D. “Our latest admissions numbers demonstrate that families across our state recognize that UC degrees prepare students for a lifetime of meaningful contributions in their communities and far beyond.”

This year’s admission data once again reflects UC’s commitment to the California Master Plan for Higher Education by guaranteeing first-year admission to a UC campus to students in the top 9% of their high school or top 9% of the state without considering standardized test scores.

UCR’s admissions increase 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. Moving forward, Zendejas said UCR admissions will focus on measured growth, with higher visibility to applicants early in the cycle.

“While this year’s increase was significant, future growth will be more gradual and aligned with the continued expansion of our campus facilities and resources,” Zendejas said.