Acceptance rates down in UC system

Despite a record number of admissions, University of California applicants had a tougher time getting into their campuses of choice this year, according to UC numbers released this week.

The number of applications is growing faster than the number of openings at UC's most sought-after schools.

Acceptance rates declined at nearly every campus. Just over 22 percent of applicants were admitted to UC Berkeley and UCLA, down from 24.7 percent at Berkeley and 23.6 percent at UCLA last year.

About 60,000 Californians were admitted as freshmen, 10,000 more than were admitted three years ago. Just over three-quarters of the 80,000 or so applicants were granted a spot at one of the nine undergraduate campuses.

The university managed to accept all qualified applicants despite proposed budget cuts, said Susan Wilbur, UC's undergraduate admissions director. But that guarantee may not be sustainable unless the university receives more state money, she said.

"We're in a very challenging environment," Wilbur said, "but we did our very best to ensure the access to high-quality education that our students have come to expect."

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