Decline in Math Skills Among Incoming UC San Diego Students

A recent report from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) highlights a significant decline in the math skills of incoming students, raising concerns among educators about the preparedness of new cohorts. The findings indicate that nearly 15% of first-year students cannot perform math at the 1st-grade level, while only 54% can handle 5th-grade math. This alarming trend has escalated since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of students placed in remedial math courses increasing dramatically.

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The report from UCSD's Senate–Administration Working Group on Admissions reveals that the number of first-year students requiring remedial math surged from 32 in fall 2020 to 390 in fall 2022, and further to 921 in fall 2025. This represents approximately 12.5% of the incoming class. The remedial courses, originally designed to address high school-level deficiencies, have been restructured to cover elementary and middle school math concepts due to the extent of the knowledge gaps observed.

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Several factors have been identified as contributors to this decline in math proficiency. The elimination of standardized testing requirements has led to a reliance on inflated high school grades, which do not accurately reflect students' readiness for college-level math. Additionally, the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequities in California's K-12 education system, particularly affecting students from low-income backgrounds. The report notes that UCSD has admitted more students from under-resourced schools, which have experienced greater learning losses during the pandemic.

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In response to these findings, the working group has proposed several recommendations to address the shortcomings in math preparedness. These include implementing a "math index" to predict students' likelihood of needing remedial math based on historical data and transcript variables, as well as requiring math placement testing for incoming students. The report emphasizes the importance of establishing feedback mechanisms with high schools to improve the evaluation of students' math skills.

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Critics of the current admissions practices argue that the push for diversity and inclusion may compromise academic standards. The report highlights a tension between expanding access to underrepresented groups and maintaining rigorous academic expectations. Faculty members express concern that admitting students who are significantly underprepared for college-level work could lead to higher failure rates and longer time-to-degree, ultimately undermining the institution's mission of promoting social mobility.

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• “The elimination of standardized testing together with COVID resulted in a mismatch between students’ course level/grades and their actual levels of preparation, with far-reaching implications for determining math readiness and course placement.” — UCSD Senate–Administration Working Group on Admissions

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• “We face an enormous uncertainty when judging the math skills of our applicants,” — UCSD Faculty Committee

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The situation at UC San Diego reflects broader challenges within the educational landscape, particularly regarding the preparedness of students entering higher education. As the university grapples with these issues, the proposed measures aim to better align admissions practices with the actual skills of incoming students, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to succeed in their academic pursuits.

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