The University of California saw a modest increase in California residents enrolling in fall 2025, driven by an uptick at the system’s Riverside campus, according to data released Thursday.
UC also enrolled more new international students, though that was only the case for undergraduates. The number of new international graduate students declined.
UC enrolled 200,532 in-state undergraduate students, including 61,309 first-time students. Those both were up 1% from fall 2024, with most campuses reporting only small increases and even some declines.
At the Riverside campus, however, enrollment of California residents was up by 6.6%. That was due to a 25% increase in new California freshmen and transfer students, which amounted to 7,932 students and the largest entering class in the campus’s history. The jump can be attributed to “increased applications, focused outreach efforts, and students recognizing UCR as a high-quality, affordable UC option that delivers strong outcomes,” said Emily Engelschall, associate vice chancellor for enrollment services at the campus, in a statement.
The campus has also been building capacity through new academic buildings, additional student housing and expanded student support services. “UC Riverside is well-positioned to responsibly serve a larger student body while sustaining academic excellence,” Engelschall said.
Systemwide, UC saw increases in enrollments of new out-of-state and international students.
The system enrolled 5,376 new undergraduate students from other states, a 17% increase over fall 2024, with UC Berkeley and UCLA accounting for most of that growth. UC also enrolled 7,292 new international undergraduates, a 21% increase over the previous year. The biggest increases were at UC Berkeley and UC San Diego.
The same was not true for new international graduate students. That population declined by nearly 17%, from 4,587 students to 3,808, with the largest drop coming at UC San Diego.
Many campuses across the country have seen declines in enrollments of new international graduate students amid various Trump administration policies, including travel restrictions and delays in visa processing. But it is too soon to tell whether the dip at UC is due to federal changes, spokesperson Rachel Zaentz said. “There’s no question that there is a shifting federal landscape happening, but the changes could be due to a number of factors,” such as the job market, Zaentz added.