UCLA raises bar on diversity, excellence

Growing up, Christian Lee learned about art and photography by studying the works of UCLA faculty, pouring over their pieces online, hunting down videos that featured them and reading whatever he could get his hands on. His dream, he said, was always to come to Westwood to study with these esteemed artists and teachers.

Today, he’s a newly-minted Bruin, having been accepted into UCLA’s School of the Arts and Architecture, and is one of 10,445* first-year and transfer students who are realizing their dreams as part of the newest undergraduate class at the nation’s No. 1–ranked public university.

Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in arts with a focus on photography, Lee, a transfer student from La Mirada, California, described his first few months on campus as some of the best of his life.

“I can’t express how excited I am to be here,” he said. “Not a single day goes by that I’m not grateful. The transfer community is incredible. Every time I go to the Broad Art Center, I could break into tears. I’m in the darkroom hours and hours every day, and I love every second of it.”

A banner year for transfer students

Lee is among 3,832 transfer students to begin their journeys at UCLA this fall. Transfers make up 37% of UCLA’s new class — the highest enrollment of any University of California campus — and their representation is up nearly 4% over last year. This year, more than 90% of entering transfer students were previously enrolled at California community colleges.

Applications from transfer students also saw a significant uptick. After dropping to roughly 24,000 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of transfer applicants for fall 2024 admission rebounded to more than 27,000.

“We are especially excited to see our transfer applications increase for fall 2024 following a couple of years of declines,” said Gary Clark, UCLA’s associate vice chancellor for enrollment management. “These students are brilliant and accomplished, and whether they are two or 22 years removed from their high school experience, they bring rich and diverse perspectives to our community, both in and outside the classroom.”

Still, he said, these numbers don’t tell the whole story about the excellence of UCLA’s newest class or the university’s dedication to diversity, opportunity and social mobility.

“UCLA’s commitment to inclusive excellence is truly reflected in this extraordinary class.  We’ve attracted and enrolled one of our most diverse, academically accomplished classes ever,” Clark said. “We increased representation among low-income and underrepresented students, even in the face of serious challenges with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). And that’s a testament to the perseverance of our new students and to the dedication of our team.”

Inclusive excellence: The racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of UCLA’s newest class

A full third, 33%, of the domestic students in the fall class are first-generation, meaning they’ll be the first in their families to graduate from a four-year institution, and 35% identify as members of racial and ethnic groups that have been traditionally underrepresented on campus.

Both the number of Black students and the number of students identifying as Chicano/Latino increased by 5% over last year. Latinos comprise 27% of the new undergraduate class, adding momentum to the university’s goal of becoming a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution.

Socioeconomic diversity grew as well, with 34% of new students coming from low-income households. The new class saw a 12% increase over 2023 in number of students who received federal Pell Grants, which support undergraduates with the greatest financial need.

These outcomes reflect the important role of UCLA’s outreach efforts and partnerships with high schools, community colleges and community-based organizations, particularly in underserved communities, Clark said. These recruitment efforts are complemented by a host of on-campus programs aimed retaining and mentoring new students, ensuring that the best and brightest from all backgrounds succeed in their academic journeys.

That commitment to excellence, opportunity and access is a primary reason UCLA recently celebrated its eighth consecutive year at the top of U.S. News and World Report’s rankings of the nation’s best public universities.

“UCLA is the premier public university, and that’s one of the primary reasons I selected it,” said Brooke Wilkerson, a new transfer student from Los Angeles County majoring in African American studies. “It’s unmatched. I’ve long had a passion for research, and UCLA excels in that area. I immersed myself in various clubs and activities from the outset. As a transfer student, I’ve always felt embraced.”

Luis Barbosa, who transferred to UCLA after earning an associate’s degree in behavioral sciences from Irvine Valley College, echoed that sense of the campus as a welcome environment for students from all walks of life.

“My fourth-grade teacher was a UCLA graduate,” he said. “It was the first college I’d ever heard of, actually. Its ties to Los Angeles, the culture and history — it resonates with me as a Mexican American.”

A first-generation student who now has his eye on a bachelor’s in sociology, Barbosa sees his future at UCLA as a broad canvas with plenty of room for creating new visions.

“I’ve come to realize there’s so much beauty being first-gen,” he said. “I can figure out my life and career as I go along, and that’s a beautiful thing. I’m open to absolutely anything. It’s going to be a beautiful story.”

* Numbers of enrolled students for the 2024–25 class were up to date at the time of publication but may change slightly over time.