The University of California had a record number of students enrolled at 301,093 in Fall 2025, the highest number in the history of the UC system, according to enrollments released on January 8.
The system’s overall enrollments increased by 1,686 students compared to Fall 2024, with an increase of 1,546 in undergraduate enrollments. The number of California residents enrolled as undergrads stood at 200,532, up 1,796 from Fall 2024, marking the tenth year in a row that enrollments have increased year over year. UC said the number is up 5.9% compared to Fall 2021, an increase of 11,158 students over the last four years. Graduate enrollments stood at 63,421, an increase of 202 students, while non-resident undergrads stood at 37,084, down 250 compared to Fall 2024. The UC system also reported that the non-resident undergraduate enrollments comprise of 15.6% the system’s enrollments, down from 15.8% in Fall 2024, continuing a declining trend over multiple years.
However, many of these increases occurred through entry points in the system available to California students. Inside Higher Ed reported that roughly 200,000 of the students in the system are Californian. The University of California reported 61,309 new California in-state undergraduates in fall 2025, an increase of 625 from last year, with 42,232 first-year and 19,077 transfer students. The Los Angeles Times reported that first-year California undergraduates comprised around 80% of 52,611 first-year students in the system, and that new international enrollments increased in accordance with federal visa restrictions. The Times reported that the racial composition of first-year undergraduates remained roughly the same as in 2024. Inside Higher Ed reported that the shrinking proportion of students from outside California, UC leaders said, shows that campuses are giving priority to California residents.”
The enrollment is a welcome development as the schools are struggling to cope with financial burdens. UC reported the statistics even before Gov. Gavin Newsom presented the budget to the state. According to the UC System, more than 400 federal grants in research have been suspended or have been terminated, amounting to $230 million in research. This is in addition to a new limit imposed on the number of grants that can be submitted. This was supported by Inside Higher Ed in reporting the disruptions in the grants program. “We want every Californian to know that a UC degree is possible for them,” Associate Vice Provost for Systemwide Undergraduate Admissions, Han Mi Yoon-Wu, said.
