UC San Diego has admitted approximately 4,000 more first-year and transfer students for the fall than it did a year ago, leading to concerns about overcrowding on campus due to a significant housing shortage. The university offered admission to a total of 48,282 students, a record number compared to last year’s 44,325 admissions. Only UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis made more admission offers for the fall than UCSD.
Despite efforts from UCSD officials to slow down the university’s growth to allow for infrastructure development, enrollment has continued to reach historic highs each year. The university is on track to reach 50,000 students within the next 10 to 15 years. A record number of students, 22,000, will be living in university-owned housing this fall, but approximately 2,800 students are on a waiting list due to growth and a lack of affordable housing off campus.
The situation at UCSD reflects the explosive growth seen in the University of California system as a whole, with a nearly 57,000 increase in enrollment over the past decade. The system recently offered admission to a record 166,706 first-year and transfer students seeking a spot at one of its nine undergraduate campuses.
The increase in enrollment is attributed in part to more California high school students meeting the rigorous UC admission requirements, making the UC system one of the top research university systems in the world. UC campuses in San Diego, Los Angeles, Berkeley, and San Francisco are ranked among the top 25 universities globally by US News and World Report.
UC President Michael Drake highlighted the positive impact of enrolling more California students in higher education, noting a 4.3% increase in California residents seeking enrollment compared to the previous year. The UC system was also encouraged by the state Legislature in 2021 to reduce the number of international students in favor of California residents, resulting in over 1,300 more resident students at UCSD.
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