UC attains enrollment record
The University of California (UC) reached its largest-ever enrollment during Fall 2025. There are a total of 301,093 matriculated students, with over 200,000 of them being undergraduates from California, according to a UC press release. This is the 10th consecutive year of growth for in-state enrollment.
“UC’s sustained period of California resident enrollment growth demonstrates the University’s unwavering commitment to serving the most promising California students and to the budget compact with [Governor Gavin] Newsom and the Legislature,” the press release read. “Today’s data also highlights that demand for a UC education remains high among students across the state.”
Non-California resident enrollment slightly decreased over the past year, adding to a roughly 2% drop in nonresident undergraduates over the past four years. In the past year, graduate student enrollment increased by 0.3%, while the number of doctoral students declined by 2.3%.
Additionally, enrollment for students of color across various racial and ethnic backgrounds increased from the previous year. International student enrollment decreased by about 0.2%.
The number of first-generation students at the UC remained largely unchanged over the past year at 36.1% while the number of Pell Grant recipients decreased by 1.1%.
Governor Newsom proposes increase to UC budget
California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed an increase of $350 million toward the UC in the state’s annual budget. Released on Jan. 9, Newsom’s proposed allotment for the UC totals $5.3 billion.
During his State of the State Address, Newsom highlighted the system’s five new Nobel laureates and its extensive list of active patents, the most of any system in the world.
“We simply have no peers. And this again, I said it earlier, it’s not by chance. It’s by design,” Newsom said. “You’ve created, you’ve nurtured these steps, big and small. They’ve emanated from these chambers. You have kept the state stable. You’ve kept it reliable because you’ve invested in the California dream.”
This proposal differs from last year’s, when Newsom proposed a nearly 8% cut for the UC, which was later reduced to 3% and eventually deferred to later years.
“The budget introduced today by Governor Newsom continues to provide critical support for the University and our students,” a statement from the UC Office of the President read. “State support is more important than ever, as we face tremendous financial pressures stemming from rising costs and unprecedented federal actions.”
Berkeley lecturer suspended following pro-Palestinian political advocacy in classroom
In early December, UC Berkeley (UCB) suspended lecturer Peyrin Kao from teaching during the spring semester for his alleged use of the classroom for political advocacy. His suspension follows a recommendation letter from a UCB administrator, which stated Kao violated Regents Policy 2301 – a policy concerning course content.
The letter states that Kao used his computer science lectures to “share and advocate for political views concerning topics” that were not relevant to the course. Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Benjamin Hermalin, the author of the letter, said he used a recorded lecture, letter of complaint and media coverage for his assessment.
Topics that Kao discussed include Israel’s continued siege of the Gaza Strip, an expression of solidarity with protests happening outside of the classroom and informing students of his hunger strike, among other related topics.
According to the Daily Californian, the Berkeley Faculty Association (BFA) and Berkeley Initiative for Freedom of Inquiry issued letters of concern regarding Hermalin’s interpretation of Regents Policy 2301.
“We are concerned that Kao is being disciplined for not engaging in advocacy per se, but because his advocacy touched on Gaza and reflected a pro-Palestinian viewpoint,” the BFA letter read.
According to a second letter from Hermalin, he will meet with the Academic Senate’s Committee on Academic Freedom in late January, as well as the Task Force on Academic Freedom, Free Speech, and Campus Climate in February.
A version of this article appeared on p. 2 of the Jan 15, 2026 edition of the Daily Nexus.
