Every year, UBC releases an annual report filled with data on student admission, enrolment and retention rates. And, annually, we break down the 60-something pages of information for our readers.
Here’s what was in the latest report for the 2023/24 academic year.
Who is UBC admitting?
In the 2023/24 admission cycle, UBC reviewed just over 52,000 application for admission according to the report, a slight decrease from the 56,000 received during 2022/23 admission cycle.
Personal profiles are read over by at least two readers and judged using a “holistic evaluation” to ensure UBC graduating classes are full of “focused, bright leaders who work collaboratively and who engage meaningfully with their communities.” The grading process is somewhat secretive, but The Ubyssey did obtain the rubric in 2019.
The enrolment report added that “12 per cent of admitted applicants would not have been admitted with a grades-only admission model.” This is the same percentage as the 2012/13 academic year, when the system was implemented.
Out of that number, UBC Vancouver (UBCV) admitted 52 per cent of undergrad applicants, while UBC Okanagan (UBCO) admitted 76 per cent.
43 per cent admitted students at UBCV graduated from institutions within the Lower Mainland and 30 per cent came from schools outside of Canada.
Who’s at UBC?
Across both campuses, UBC has 72,776 students — broken down, that's 11,913 students at UBCO and 60,863 at UBCV.
In terms of Indigenous representation, there are 1,557 Indigenous students at UBCV and 774 at UBCO — representing around a 28 per cent increase since the 2019/20 academic year. Most students are from BC.
According to the report, 6.6 per cent of UBCO’s student body identifies as Indigenous and 2.6 per cent of UBCV.
In total, there are 1,557 Indigenous students at UBCV and 774 at UBCO — representing around a 28 per cent increase since the 2019/20 academic year. Most students are from BC.
Who is UBC admitting?
Map of UBC International Undergraduates admitted 2023/24 by Citizenship
Who makes up the international study body?
The international student body is diverse, representing over 160 countries across the campuses with China, the United States and India being the three most represented countries.
Notably, 32 per cent of international students at UBC last year held Chinese citizenship even though the number of Chinese undergraduate international students has dropped since 2019/20 for both campuses.
However, the report writes the number of Indian international students has increased five-fold since 2013/14.
Do students return year after year?
Overall, retention rates at UBC are high — the report finds 94 per cent of domestic students and 91 per cent of international first-year students stayed at UBCV between the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years.
Indigenous students rates are lower with 82 per cent of students returning to UBCV after the first year of their undergraduate degree.
The report also notes that most undergraduate students at UBCV completed their degrees in 4.5 years — a trend The Ubyssey noted last year.
The majority of graduate students at UBCV take five years to complete their PhD — the Graduate Student Society has called the increase of the PhD stipend to increase from four to five.
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