The University of California–Irvine (UCI) received a record number of applications for fall 2021 and continued to be the top choice for in state-first generation students, the university said.

“The word is out: UCI is a place that welcomes and supports our state’s very best students, regardless of their economic circumstances, and provides them with an outstanding college experience and lifelong opportunities,” Chancellor Howard Gillman said in a Jan. 28 press release. “Students and their families choose UCI because our wonderful faculty and staff are committed to ensuring that our students get a great education in a nurturing and friendly environment.”

Nearly 134,000 applications for fall 2021 were submitted, including 107,939 from freshmen hopefuls. Another 25,936 applications came from transfer students.

The Irvine campus was the top University of California choice for state natives, and 47 percent of California-resident applications came from students who would be the first in their family to attend college, the school said.

Overall, applications to UCI have increased by 50.8 percent since 2015.