We're a university of college trailblazers
See how we're helping first-gen students thrive
FirstGen
California’s pioneering spirit is at work in thousands of UC students seeking to be the first in their family to earn a degree.
They join faculty, staff, students and university leaders who themselves were the first to go to college. They are an important part of what UC stands for and how it works to keep California as a land of opportunity.
42% of UC undergraduates are first-generation.
42% of UC undergraduates are first-generation.
80% of UC's first-generation students graduate within six years... compared with only 11% nationally.*
*among low income students, Pell Institute, 2008
80% of UC's first-generation students graduate within six years... compared with only 11% nationally.*
*among low income students, Pell Institute, 2008
6 years after graduation, UC first-gen students' median income has surpassed that of their families.
6 years after graduation, UC first-gen students' median income has surpassed that of their families.
49% of UC's first-generation students are African American, Latino/Chicano or American Indian.
39% of UC's first-generation students speak English as a second language.
60% of UC's first-generation students are from lower-income households.
49% of UC's first-generation students are African American, Latino/Chicano or American Indian.
39% of UC's first-generation students speak English as a second language.
60% of UC's first-generation students are from lower-income households.
First-Generation Student Success at the University of California
This policy brief explores how UC serves first-generation students, what is working to help them thrive and how their education contributes to a strong California economy.