UCSB Admits More Out-of-State Students, Fewer California Residents to 2017-18 Freshman Class

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Image by Shomik Mukherjee

Lauren Marnel Shores
Campus Beat Reporter

The University of California, Santa Barbara admitted more out-of-state students and fewer California residents to its 2017-18 freshman class, according to data released by the UC Office of the President on Thursday morning.

California resident admissions declined by 7.8 percent, while out-of-state admissions increased by 12.9 percent. Overall, UCSB admitted 26,879 students to its freshman class — 769 fewer students than those admitted in 2016. The numbers reflect a drop in the university’s acceptance rate, from 35.9 percent to 32.8 percent. UCSB received a record 81,782 freshman applicants in the fall.

The data reported reflects only the number of students admitted and not enrollment numbers, said Stephen Handel, the Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Admissions in the UCOP, during a press teleconference Thursday afternoon. The UCOP will release an official report regarding Statements of Intent to Register later in the summer.

“Let me emphasize: many campuses admit many more students than [they] can possibly enroll, understanding that students make the final decision about where they would like to attend college,” Handel said.

Nearly 31 percent of admitted first-year applicants for the upcoming school year are nonresidents. The number of admitted first-year nonresidents has increased steadily each year.

The UC Board of Regents implemented an enrollment cap of 18 percent for nonresident students, beginning with admissions for the 2017-18 school year, after a scathing audit in March of 2016. Four undergraduate campuses —  UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, and UC Irvine —  have already exceeded the cap, and will instead be frozen at their current enrollment rates.

“They’re not going to ramp back as far as I know,” said Handel. “I haven’t talked to the campuses directly but I don’t think they’re going to ramp back to 18 percent, they’re going to stay where they are.”

The other campuses will be allowed to continue growing under the 18 percent cap, permitting they do not exceed it. Though UCSB is currently under the cap amount, the university’s rising trend in nonresident admissions suggests it might be moving towards the limit.

1 COMMENT

  1. So your friends in the administration at UCSB like their jobs and that of the other administrators so they’re selling your seat to outsiders. Doesn’t matter that you and your parents paid state taxes here in Cali all their lives – you are a commodity to your “betters” in academia. But hey, if you do get in you’ve got plenty of people lined up to “help” – even if you’re in the US illegally.

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