Courtesy of Carrie Rosema
Courtesy of Carrie Rosema

Applications for the University of California reached an all-time high as the number of students applying to a UC rose by an 10.7 percent this past year. UC Riverside received the third highest application rate—among freshmen and transfers—systemwide, with an average of 12.2 percent, behind UC Merced and Santa Cruz at 14.2 and 14.8 percent.

It was also revealed that for the first time ever, Chicanos-Latino students made up the largest share of UC applicants from within the state; the number of applicants jumped from 30 percent to 32 percent this past year.

“Marking a milestone in California demographics, Chicanos-Latinos—the largest racial/ethnic group among state high school graduates—now are the largest ethnic group among California freshman applicants,” a statement from the UC Office of the President read about on the numbers.

Arlene M. Cano, the Program Coordinator of the UCR Chicano Student Programs, responded to the news and voiced her thoughts on what the numbers meant for Chicano students and campus in general.

“I think [it shows] the plight of our students,” Cano said “I also feel that it is also a reflection of our growing numbers here on campus…I think that it definitely empowers the community to know that they can be here [at UCR]. That’s what it means for our campus. I think that our numbers will continue to grow.”

Despite the UC’s increase in tuition over the past five years, all nine of the undergraduate campuses reported higher numbers in student applications. State applicants rose by 6.2 percent for a total of 99,129 students, while non-residential and international applications rose by nearly 15 percent.

UCLA once again reported the most freshman applicants of any UC with 80,472 students. UC Merced and Santa Cruz reported the biggest jumps in applicants, both seeing a 14 percent increase.

As for UCR, the campus also reported a boost in total applicants. Last year, 29,879 high school students applied to the 2012 fall quarter. This time around, 33,809 applied for the 2013 fall quarter. That’s an increase of 13.2 percent. As for transfer students, UCR’s numbers also rose from 7,727 to 8,369 students, for an increase of 8.3 percent.

The average California student applied to about four of the nine campuses. About half of Californian applicants indicated that they would be the first of their families to graduate from college.

The news follows similar reports from the California State University system, which also reported an increase in undergraduate applicants.