The University of California offered letters of admission to a record number of incoming California freshmen, underrepresented students and community college transfers for the fall 2021 semester, UC officials announced this week.

UC schools offered admission to 84,223 California students this year, an increase of more than 5 percent over the 79,953 California students admitted last fall.

In addition, 43 percent of the admitted California students are members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, according to UC officials, the highest proportion ever for an incoming undergraduate class.

Latinx students are the largest ethnic group in the admitted freshman class at 37 percent, a nine percent uptick from the 2020 admitted class, while admissions of Black and African American students increased by 15.6 percent year-over-year.

“These remarkable numbers are a testament to the hard work and resiliency of students and their families across California. I am particularly heartened by the social and economic diversity of those offered a place at UC.”

Dr. Michael Drake, University of California president

Overall, fall 2021 admission across the UC system increased by 11 percent over 2020, from 119,054 students to 132,353.

“These remarkable numbers are a testament to the hard work and resiliency of students and their families across California,” UC President Dr. Michael Drake said in a statement. “I am particularly heartened by the social and economic diversity of those offered a place at UC.”

UC schools admitted 28,453 students from the state’s community colleges, also a record high and the vast majority of whom are also California residents.

The UC system received 128,266 applications from California freshmen for the fall 2021 semester, a more than 13 percent increase compared to the 113,471 applications received for the fall 2020 semester.

UC officials suggested the end of the system’s standardized testing requirement may have lowered the barrier for some students who may not have applied in previous years.

“As the data make clear, UC is continuing to honor its commitment to guarantee admission to high-performing California high school students and providing a clear pathway for talented community college students to join us,” UC Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions Han Mi Yoon-Wu said. “We are proud to be able to welcome so many exceptional young people to UC.”