The University of California received applications from 251,907 prospective undergraduates for fall 2026, the most it has ever recorded. Look closer, though, and the growth came mostly from transfer students. First-year applications barely moved, and international first-year applications dipped slightly, a year after jumping 8%.
UC released these preliminary counts while many students were still waiting on decisions from the most selective US universities and liberal arts colleges. Here is what the numbers show, which campuses drew the most competition, and what two admitted CRI students say set their applications apart.
The systemwide numbers
The University of California's preliminary fall 2026 application tables show these totals (changes are from fall 2025):
- Total applicants: 251,907 (up 0.8%)
- First-year applicants: 205,431 (up 0.1%)
- International first-year applicants: 32,070 (down 0.1%)
- Transfer applicants: 46,476 (up 3%)
Overall, the year-to-year shifts are small. The record total owes most of its rise to transfer applications, and of the 46,476 transfer applicants, 38,264 applied from California community colleges.
Campus by campus
Five campuses again drew more than 100,000 applications each: UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara. UC Davis, which crossed the 100,000 mark last year, held its place above it.
| Campus | All applications | First-year | International first-year | International share of first-year | Transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC systemwide | 251,907 | 205,431 | 32,070 | 16% | 46,476 |
