Under pressure, UC admits a record number of Californians; racial diversity remains strong

The University of California system just admitted its largest-ever class of in-state first-year students for 2025, which is great news for California families. While overall numbers are up, the distribution isn't even—campuses like Merced and Riverside are doing most of the heavy lifting in expanding access. The system also maintained strong racial diversity, suggesting efforts to serve the state's population are working, even if some flagship campuses remain tough to get into.