For the second consecutive year, a record high number of students have applied to the University of California, Davis, for undergraduate studies in fall 2025.

The 120,131 applications represented a 4.1% increase over the previous record of 115,349 last year and included a record high number of California residents. Growth in applications from groups historically underrepresented in higher education ranged from 0.4% to 5.8%. 

The UC Office of the President released preliminary systemwide and campus application statistics today (Feb. 12). For year-over-year comparison, UC Davis is using preliminary application statistics for 2024.

Among the UC Davis applicants for fall 2025, a record 102,958 applied for first-year admission, representing a 4.2% increase over the previous high of 98,834 last year. New transfer applications numbered 17,173, up 4% from last year.

Robert Penman, executive director of Undergraduate Admissions, said the campus aims to enroll an entering class of about 9,765 new undergraduates.

California residents and other demographics

A record high of 83,615 California residents, or 1.6% more than last year, applied. They accounted for 67% of all first-year applicants and 88% of all transfer applicants.

The proportions of applicants from historically underrepresented groups (African American, American Indian, Chicano/Latino and Pacific Islander) increased slightly compared to last fall. 

Among California residents who applied for first-year status, these groups continue to represent 37%; among U.S. domestic applicants from California Community Colleges, they accounted for 36%. For first-year and transfer applicants combined, all groups increased over last year:

• American Indian, by 0.4% to 557
• African American, by 1.3% to 4,677
• Hispanic/Latino(a), by 3.6% to 24,714
• Pacific Islander, by 5.8% to 256

Among California first-year applicants, 36% were from low-income families, and 36% would be in the first generation of their family to graduate from a four-year college.

Among transfer applicants from California Community Colleges, 51% were from low-income families, and 46% would be in the first generation of their family to graduate from a four-year college.

Overall, applications from U.S. states other than California grew 7.2% to 13,552, while international applications numbered 22,964, a 12.2% increase from last year.

Admissions process

Undergraduate Admissions is now evaluating applications and plans to notify applicants of admissions decisions for first-year status in mid-March and for transfer status in mid-April. Students admitted for first-year studies will have until May 1 to accept offers of admission, while admitted transfer students will have until June 1.

Students are encouraged to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, or California Dream Act Application by March 2.

The university will offer admission to fewer students than those who applied, and a smaller number of students will accept those offers and join the fall 2025 entering class.

Fall 2024 numbers

Last year, the campus received a final total of 98,864 first-year applications and 16,478 transfer applications. UC Davis offered admission to 41,353 first-year and 9,606 transfer applicants. The fall 2024 entering class that enrolled numbered 9,443, including 6,767 new first-years, 2,656 transfer students and 20 others seeking a second undergraduate degree.

While most students are associated with the campus in Davis, some of the total fall 2024 enrollment of 41,239 students — including undergraduate, graduate and professional students as well as veterinary and medical residents and interns — were enrolled in programs at locations outside of Davis, such as the Sacramento campus.

UC Davis also tracks student population averaged over the three quarters of an academic year for implementing the 2018 Long Range Development Plan, or LRDP, capacity of 39,000 students at the Davis campus. The early estimate for the LRDP’s three-quarter enrollment average for the current academic year is about 36,500. Since 2019-20, the LRDP three-quarter average enrollment has remained below 37,000.