Nearly 600 fewer students are enrolled at the University of California, Davis, this fall quarter than last -- the result of deliberate planning to slow the campus's rate of growth and of a slightly higher-than-anticipated decline in continuing students. Final fall term figures show a total enrollment of 23,302, a decrease of 596 students from last fall's enrollment and 192 fewer than anticipated. Eighteen more new freshmen and 7 more transfer students enrolled than expected, but continuing students fell short of projections. "We're concerned about those students who, for various reasons, have not returned this fall," said Robert E. Chason, acting vice chancellor for student affairs. "We're exploring ways to determine why they dropped out and if they're planning to return. We certainly hope they will be back and we will do all we can to support them in completing their programs of study." A profile of this fall's student body: Men account for 50.5 percent (11,764) of the student population and women, 49.5 percent (11,538). On the general campus, 4,095 students are classified as freshmen; 3,693 as sophomores; 4,959 as juniors; 5,030 as seniors; 10 as "limited status"; 90 as teaching credential students; 1,828 as master's or professional degree candidates; and 1,642 as doctoral degree candidates. In the health sciences, 111 are designated as special undergraduates, 65 as master's degree candidates, 159 as doctoral degree candidates, 927 as professional degree candidates, and 693 as interns and residents. Of the 3,425 new undergraduates, 2,368 are first-time freshmen and 1,057 are transfer students. The three-quarter average for freshman enrollment is projected to be 3,192 and for seniors, 5,715. Underrepresented ethnic groups comprise 38.3 percent of all domestic undergraduates, up from 36.5 percent last fall. Of the 17,877 general campus undergraduates, 17,696 are U.S. citizens and 181 are foreign students. The ethnic breakdown among the U.S. students, contrasted with last year's figures (in parentheses), is: Caucasians, 56.6 percent or 10,015 (58.6 percent or 10,639); African American, 4.1 percent or 716 (4 percent or 724); American Indian, 1.1 percent or 189 (0.9 percent or 167); Chicano/Mexican American, 6 percent or 1,067 (5.3 percent or 967); Latino, 3.1 percent or 553 (2.6 percent or 465); Chinese, 8.6 percent or 1,523 (8.7 percent or 1,576); Japanese, 2.4 percent or 425 (2.7 percent or 492); Korean, 2.4 percent or 432 (2.4 percent or 446); Filipino, 3.3 percent or 591 (3.4 percent or 621); Polynesian, 0.3 percent or 54 (0.2 percent or 45); Thai/other Asians, 5.6 percent or 991 (4.9 percent or 897); East Indian/Pakistani, 1.4 percent or 243 (1.3 percent or 234); and 5.1 percent or 897 (4.9 percent or 889) are of other ethnic backgrounds or declined to state ethnicity. Here is a comparison of actual fall quarter enrollments from last year to this: Fall 1990 Fall 1991 Undergraduate Colleges 18,395 17,877 Ag & Environmental Sciences 5,285 4,992 Engineering 2,298 2,228 Letters & Science 10,812 10,657 Graduate Division 3,167 3,023 Professional Schools 2,336 2,402 Grad. School of Management 164 183 Law 492 488 Medicine 1,097 1,138 Veterinary Medicine 583 593 TOTAL 23,898 23,302