The University of California, Davis, significantly increased its admission of California residents as it offered freshman and transfer admission to a total of more than 39,306 applicants from the state and beyond for fall 2016.

With major increases among Chicano/Latino admitted students, the campus also made progress toward its goal of being designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

"The high number of California residents admitted for fall study represents our commitment to serving California residents," said Ebony Lewis, executive director of Undergraduate Admissions. “We’re also pleased to continue to improve access to the university with our growing numbers of underrepresented, low-income and first-generation students among those admitted."

In fact, Davis has enrolled the most California resident undergraduates of all UC campuses since 2010. 

Admissions by the numbers

From a record 68,519 applications for freshman status, UC Davis admitted 28,971 applicants, an increase of 4,301, or 17.4 percent, over last year's 24,670. Among 17,552 transfer applicants, the campus admitted 10,335.

California residents account for 18,589, or 64.2 percent, of admitted freshmen. This represents an increase of 2,753, or 17.4 percent, over last year's 15,836.

A total of 9,587, or 92.8 percent, of the admitted transfer students are from California Community Colleges.

Gains in diversity

Among the admitted California freshmen, 28.7 percent are from historically underrepresented groups — African American, American Indian and Chicano/Latino. Last year, the traditionally underrepresented groups accounted for 26.1 percent.

• African Americans increased 33.0 percent, from 494 to 657
• American Indians increased 22.1 percent, from 95 to 116
• Chicano/Latinos increased 29.1 percent, from 3,538 to 4,568

Among students admitted from California Community Colleges, 30.6 percent are from underrepresented groups, compared to 26.6 percent last year.

Progress toward HSI designation

The increased representation of Chicano and Latino applicants among admitted freshman — now at 24.6 percent of admitted California residents — was also present among transfer students.

Among admitted California Community College students, there were 1,913 Chicano/Latinos — up 529, or 38.2 percent, from last year. They account for 24.3 percent of U.S. domestic students admitted from California Community Colleges

UC Davis aspires to become a designated HSI by fall 2018-19. To be eligible for HSI designation by the U.S. Department of Education, the undergraduate student body must be at least 25 percent Hispanic. The designation provides the university opportunities for federal grant funding that supports a variety of programs aimed at student success.

Other measures

Among admitted California freshmen, almost one in three are from low-income families, and more than one in three would be in the first generation of their family to graduate from a four-year university. About one in five are from low-performing high schools.

Enrollment estimates

The campus estimates it will enroll a total 9,100 new freshmen and transfer students, an increase of about 700 from fall 2015. Total enrollment is expected to be about 37,000.