A record number of new transfer students -- up 24 percent from last fall -- contributed to the largest student body ever at the University of California, Davis, while the freshman class constituted the most diverse and selective in the university's history.

The university's overall fall enrollment of 32,290 set a record for the campus and represented an increase of about 0.4 percent from last fall's 32,153 undergraduate, graduate and professional students.

New students who transferred to UC Davis, mostly from California community colleges, numbered 2,756, compared with last fall's 2,219 -- a 24.2-percent increase.

Frank Wada, executive director of Undergraduate Admissions and university registrar, said the increase in transfer students reflects the success of recent efforts by UC Davis and the University of California to boost transfers from California community colleges.

Among new transfer students, the average grade point average for college studies remained constant at 3.32.

Among new transfer students who reported family income, nearly 32 percent are considered low income (their family size and income level qualified them for a free or reduced-price lunch through the National School Lunch Program). Almost 43 percent reported that they will be the first in their family to graduate from college.

Record-setting freshman class

The 4,501 new freshmen who enrolled directly from high school represented a 2-percent increase from last fall's 4,412.

For the freshman class, the average GPA is 3.86, compared with 3.85 in fall 2009. The average SAT score of enrolled freshmen is 1817, up from 1784 in fall 2009.

Among new freshmen who reported family income, almost 40 percent are considered low income. And just over 40 percent reported that they will be the first in their family to graduate from college.

Among a record high of 43,295 applicants for freshman status, UC Davis admitted 19,460; among a total of 11,272 transfer applicants, UC Davis admitted 7,495. (Admissions numbers are higher because not all admitted students enroll.)

By residency and ethnicity

About 96.9 percent of new freshmen are California residents; last year 96.8 percent were residents. Of the 4,423 domestic students (United States citizens or permanent residents), about 22.6 percent are from traditionally underrepresented groups (African American, American Indian and Chicano/Latino).

About 92.2 percent of new transfer students are residents of California; last year, 93.3 percent were residents. Among the 2,557 domestic transfer students, about 19.1 percent, were from traditionally underrepresented groups.

Among all 29,778 domestic students, 17.6 percent are from traditionally underrepresented groups, compared with 16.2 percent last fall. (This count excludes medical and veterinary school interns and residents.)

Overall enrollment

The number of new and continuing undergraduates (including teaching-credential students) increased by about 0.3 percent, from 24,655 last fall to 24,737 this fall. The number of academic graduate students increased 2.3 percent, from 4,215 to 4,341. The number of professional students fell from 3,283 last fall to 3,212 this fall, a 2.2-percent decrease.

With almost 2,100 students in programs elsewhere, the student population on the Davis campus itself is estimated to be 30,217 and expected to be lower when averaged over the academic year's three quarters.

Men accounted for 45.6 percent of the overall student population, and women 54.3 percent. Just over 92 percent of students are California residents. (These numbers exclude 898 interns and residents.)

For the general campus, 4,983 students are classified as freshmen; 4,096 as sophomores; 7,190 as juniors; 8,291 as seniors; 177 as teaching-credential students; 4,088 as master's or doctoral degree candidates; and 1,229 as professional students.

In the health sciences, 253 are designated as master's or doctoral degree students and 1,983 as professional degree candidates.

Here is a comparison of fall quarter enrollments from last year to this year:

Fall 2010

Undergraduates 24,737

• Agricultural & Environmental Sciences 5,579
• Engineering 3,216
• Letters & Science 10,405
• Biological Sciences 5,360
• Teaching Credential 177

Graduate Academic 4,341

Professional 3,212

• Graduate School of Management* 516
• Law 613
• Medicine** 1,324
• Veterinary Medicine** 659
• Graduate Division 100

Total 32,290

Fall 2009

Undergraduates 24,655

• Agricultural & Environmental Sciences 5,493
• Engineering 3,044
• Letters & Science 10,658
• Biological Sciences 5,316
• Teaching Credential 144

Graduate Academic 4,215

Professional 3,283

• Graduate School of Management* 547
• Law 623
• Medicine** 1,353
• Veterinary Medicine** 652
• Graduate Division 108

Total 32,153

* Figures for the management school include students in the MBA Working Professional program: 407 this fall and 431 last fall.

** Numbers for the medical and veterinary schools include interns and residents. The medical school has 791 this fall compared with 805 last fall; the vet school has 107 this fall compared with 101 last fall.

Budget and Institutional Analysis is the source for most enrollment data; Undergraduate Admissions provides information on new freshman and transfer students.