UCLA has offered admission to 16,177 high school seniors with outstanding academic records and impressive achievements outside the classroom, from a humanitarian who started a nonprofit that promotes literacy in Africa to an international award-winning photojournalist and a nationally ranked figure skater and U.S. patent holder.

Among this year's class are 9,539 California residents, 84 percent of whom will graduate in the top 9 percent of their high school class, and high-achieving students from nearly every other state and 74 countries.

Despite the stiff competition for admission this year, UCLA continued to honor its longstanding commitment to socioeconomic diversity, with nearly 31 percent of admitted California residents reporting they will be the first in their family to graduate from a four-year college and 31 percent coming from low-income families.

In an effort to maintain the University of California's commitment to state residents, UCLA increased its in-state enrollment target for this fall to 4,100 students, up 100 from last year. The enrollment target for non-residents will remain at approximately 1,600 students.

Overall, UCLA admitted roughly 20 percent of the 80,497 applicants for the fall 2013 freshman class. Collectively, these students make up UCLA's most diverse class to date in terms of their geographic, racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

"The ever-increasing demand for a UCLA education and the competitiveness of our admissions process are testaments to our value as one of the world's most prestigious universities and the destination point for exceptionally talented and motivated students," said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. "Our admitted class represents the wide range of backgrounds that a public institution like UCLA should reflect."

Among admitted California residents, 43.0 percent are Asian American, 26.3 percent are white, 21.3 percent are Chicano/Latino and 4.2 percent are African American.

Last Saturday, April 13, Chancellor Block and other campus leaders welcomed nearly 15,000 admitted first-year students and family members to Bruin Day on campus , where they sampled everything that makes UCLA a world-renowned university, from its top academic programs to its unmatched facilities and vibrant campus life.

"I want to thank the students, alumni, faculty and staff who, with their characteristic enthusiasm and optimism, encouraged our newly admitted students to join the Bruin family on Bruin Day," said Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, UCLA's associate vice chancellor for enrollment management. "We are all deeply committed to enrolling a student body of extraordinary students from California, the nation and world who will enrich our campus with their backgrounds, talents, interests and experiences."

In addition to California residents, UCLA offered fall 2013 admission to 6,638 out-of-state and international students, a slight increase over last year. By university policy, the academic qualifications of non-resident students must compare favorably to California residents admitted to the campus.

"One can't underestimate the importance of the cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as the fresh ideas and perspectives, that international and out-of-state students bring to campus," Copeland-Morgan said. "UCLA's prestige as a global university is enhanced by their contributions."

In addition to its freshman class, UCLA will be offering admission to stellar transfer students for the fall 2013 term on April 26. Transfer students are not only critical to UCLA's mission as a public university, but they add vibrancy and diversity to campus life, Copeland-Morgan said.

Admitted freshman must submit their Statement of Intent to Register by May 1; transfer students have until June 1 to accept their admission offer.

In total, the University of California offered admission to 82,850 freshman applicants for the fall 2013 term at the system's nine undergraduate campuses.

Statistics for all nine UC undergraduate campuses are available at http://www.ucop.edu/news/studstaff.html