Nearly 70,000 students from California, elsewhere in the nation and around the world have applied to UC Irvine for the fall 2012 quarter, a record number that reflects the campus’s success at maintaining academic quality in the face of plummeting state support.

Systemwide, 160,939 applicants – the most ever – are vying for spots this autumn at the University of California’s nine undergraduate campuses, an increase of 9.8 percent over last year. UCI saw a 10.5 percent jump in those seeking admission.

“We are extremely gratified that students and their parents value the quality of education we provide at UC Irvine and the measures we’ve taken to ensure academic excellence, despite declining funding from the state,” said UCI Chancellor Michael Drake. “We have continued to hire top faculty members – welcoming 68 new academics for fall 2011 – and we take great pride in the programs we offer our students.”

A breakdown of UCI’s numbers shows 54,465 freshman applications and 15,443 transfer applications, for a total of 69,908 – placing the campus fourth behind UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC San Diego. Freshman applications to UCI from California residents grew by 10 percent from a year ago to 47,491; the numerical gain of 4,304 is the largest in the UC system.

In addition, UCI’s out-of-state freshman applications rose by 48 percent to 2,514, and overseas applications leaped by 93 percent to 4,460. Foreign and out-of-state students pay higher tuition ($36,848); they help subsidize but do not displace California residents.

UCI continues its efforts to foster a diverse student population. Freshman applications from African American residents of California are up 18 percent, and those from Chicano/Latino state residents are up 19 percent. Students who are the first in their families to attend college represent almost 48 percent of in-state freshman applicants to UCI.

Total new transfer applications to UC schools decreased this year by 4.2 percent, with California-resident transfers declining by 6.2 percent. UCI’s 15,443 transfer applications put the campus third behind UCLA and UC Berkeley.

Asians make up nearly 38 percent of UCI transfer applications from California community college students for fall 2012, followed by whites (26 percent), Chicanos/Latinos (19 percent), African Americans (3 percent) and American Indians (1 percent). The UCI numbers are within a few percentage points of systemwide statistics.

“The overall applications picture is an exciting one for UCI,” said Brent Yunek, assistant vice chancellor for enrollment services. “It’s clear that we are seen as a leading research university both locally and internationally and that undergraduates know they will get spectacular opportunities and a high-quality education in this environment.”

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UCI is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange County’s second-largest employer, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $4 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.

News Radio: UCI maintains on campus an ISDN line for conducting interviews with its faculty and experts. Use of this line is available for a fee to radio news programs/stations that wish to interview UCI faculty and experts. Use of the ISDN line is subject to availability and approval by the university.