The University of California enrolled 301,093 students in fall 2025, the largest student body in its history. UC San Diego set a campus record of its own, with more than 45,000 students. Behind the headline, though, UC is steadily shifting its undergraduate seats toward California residents, and that matters to anyone applying from outside California.
The UCSD Guardian, UC San Diego's student newspaper, reported the record on January 12, 2026, in "UC Fall 2025 enrollment numbers reach record high." The figures below come from that report and from the UC Office of the President's own release. Here is what drove the growth, where the students went, and what it all means for international applicants.
Fall 2025 at a glance
| Measure | Fall 2025 |
|---|---|
| Total UC enrollment | 301,093, up about 0.6% from the year before |
| California-resident undergraduates | More than 200,000, a 10th straight year of growth |
| Nonresident share of undergraduates, systemwide | 15.6% (campus limit: 18%) |
| New international undergraduates | 7,292, up 21% |
| Largest campus | UCLA, more than 47,000 students |
Why enrollment keeps rising
Much of UC's growth is a matter of policy. In 2022, the university signed a compact with the state of California, promising to enroll a steadily growing number of California residents each year through 2026.
The fall 2025 count shows that promise at work. Total enrollment rose about 0.6% over the previous year to pass 300,000, and the number of California-resident undergraduates climbed above 200,000, its tenth consecutive year of growth.
