UC Applications in 2026: Santa Cruz Surges, System Stays Flat

UC-wide, the headline number barely moved: first-year applications held near flat from Fall 2025 to Fall 2026. But that system total masks a striking divergence across campuses. Santa Cruz saw a 19% surge in first-year applicants, while Merced's transfer pool nearly doubled. Meanwhile, Berkeley continued its upward trajectory and Santa Barbara was the only campus to decline. The story isn't how many students applied to the UC system — it's where they're applying.

First-Year Applications by Campus

Fall 2025 vs Fall 2026

First-Year Application Growth by Campus

Year-over-year % change, Fall 2025 → Fall 2026

First-Year Application Mix (System-Wide)

CA Resident vs Domestic OOS vs International

Transfer Applications by Campus

Fall 2025 vs Fall 2026 — Merced nearly doubled

Key Takeaways

• System-wide first-year applications essentially flat: 205,158 → 205,431 (+0.1%)
• Santa Cruz first-year applications up 19.1% (66,178 → 78,832) — the largest campus jump
• Merced transfers nearly doubled: 3,696 → 6,401 (+73.3%)
• Berkeley first-year up 5.0% (126,796 → 133,128)
• Santa Barbara was the only campus with a first-year decline (-1.5%)
• International first-year applications flat system-wide: 32,115 → 32,070 (-0.1%)
• Domestic out-of-state first-year applications up modestly: 42,336 → 43,150 (+1.9%)

Full Data: First-Year & Transfer Applications

FY = First-Year applications. Tr = Transfer applications. Source: UC Office of the President, Preliminary Application Summary Counts (Fall 2025, Fall 2026).