Source: LA Times
According to a new report from UC school system, the number of students applying to UC schools dropped by 3 percent.
Three UC schools experienced declines in applications from potential freshman students, including UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz. The report however notes that the number of students graduating from high schools will max out in the next six years, and this new trend could mirror a trend in fewer students applying to higher education institutions.
“What the California system is experiencing this year is just a taste of some of the challenges it will experience in a decade or so,” said Nathan Grawe, professor of economics and social sciences at Carleton College, as reported by LA Times.
Though experts could not say for sure why there have been fewer applicants to these UC schools, they believe it could be due to an overall trend of fewer students graduating from high school across the country, in addition to other factors, such as immigration, natural disasters and incentives to attend community colleges instead.
Another trend that was identified by experts was that students are applying to fewer campuses, being more selective about their school choices but also being discouraged about applying to UC schools, which are generally highly selective. UCLA for instance collects more than 110,000 applications annually, yet admits fewer than 6,000.
Read Full Story: LA Times