One in Eight UCSD Freshmen Below Middle School Math Level

A new report released by the Senate-Administration Working Group on Admissions at the University of California, San Diego reveals that about 11.8 % of incoming freshmen in the Fall 2025 cohort have mathematics skills below middle-school level. That represents an approximate thirty-fold increase over the past five years compared to previous cohorts.

Key findings

The report shows a steep rise in the number of students whose math placement results place them below middle-school proficiency. The group attributes this decline to several interlocking causes: the educational disruption driven by the COVID-19 pandemic; the removal of the SAT/ACT standardized test requirement for admissions; widespread grade inflation in high schools; and expanded admissions from under-resourced high schools.
The situation at UC San Diego is described as significantly worse than many peer campuses in the University of California system. In response the university created two remedial math course tracks for Fall 2024, enrolling around 921 students (11.8 % of the incoming class) in those courses. The report warns that admitting large numbers of students who are profoundly underprepared risks harming the very students the university hopes to support by setting them up for failure.

Why it matters

The report’s findings spark urgent questions about whether admissions policies that emphasize access are being matched with sufficient student preparedness and institutional support. For students the consequences are serious: lack of basic math readiness may lead to higher failure rates, delayed graduation, and greater institutional costs. For the institution the findings raise concerns about resource strain, instructional capacity and maintaining academic standards while preserving access. The findings have drawn national attention including in major outlets and are spurring debates about the future of college readiness, admissions practices and equity in higher education.

Institutional response and next steps

UC San Diego has moved to offer remedial math courses aimed at students whose skills are well below what are traditionally expected for college entry. The report recommends development of a “Math Index” that uses high school transcript data, high school background and likely placement outcomes to better assess students’ readiness for math-intensive majors. It also recommends placing incoming students in advance of matriculation, collaborating with under-resourced high schools, and revisiting how admissions decisions weigh high school GPA when it may no longer reliably reflect actual skill. The university faces a strategic tension: it can continue its access mission while significantly expanding remedial supports, or it may need to tighten criteria for admission into math-heavy majors to ensure students are set up for success.

Broader implications and potential controversy

The report raises wider questions about national higher education trends: whether the pandemic’s long-term learning loss has permanently shifted readiness levels; whether the elimination of standardized tests has reduced ability to assess readiness; whether grade inflation has undermined transparency in transcripts; and how public universities should balance access, equity and standards. Some high schools may face scrutiny for offering high grades that do not reflect readiness.
The report suggests that other UC campuses and universities across the country may face similar trends and that the UCSD findings may be a bellwether for systemic issues.

What to watch

In the coming term the metrics to monitor will include how many incoming freshmen are placed into remedial math courses, how well those students perform subsequently in gateway math or STEM courses, whether their degree completion rates or time to graduation are affected, and whether admissions policies are revised accordingly. The effectiveness of any “Math Index” or predictive tool will also be closely observed.
The institution may also reevaluate how it collaborates with high schools, supports students before matriculation and reallocates instructional resources to meet greater remedial demand.

Bottom line

The SAWG report at UC San Diego shows a dramatic and alarming decline in mathematics preparedness among freshmen. Roughly one in eight entering students now arrives with skills below middle-school level. The combination of pandemic disruptions, test policy changes, grade inflation and expansion of access has created a significant challenge. The university’s interventions mark the beginning of a response, but the findings raise important questions about how public research universities reconcile access, preparation and outcomes.