"One recent controversy is the rise of students needing remedial math at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), as documented in a report from the UCSD Academic Senate. The UC system has used test-free admissions since 2020. Some think the UC admissions policy is setting students up to fail. They argue that without required testing, the UC system lacks the tools that it needs to keep these students out."
"The argument that the UC system is setting students up to fail might be more compelling if it were true. However, analysis of data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System indicates that first-to-second year retention at UCSD stayed consistent after the adoption of test-free admissions in 2020. In 2018, when the UC system still required tests, the retention rate was at 94 percent. Ditto for 2023 and 2024. These numbers are notably stable."
"As noted in the UCSD math report, the number of students needing developmental math rose from less than 1 percent of the first-year class in 2020 to 11.8 percent in 2025. Current UCSD students experienced online learning during a crucial time in their math development."
The University of California adopted test-free admissions in 2020, and UC San Diego shows a notable increase in students needing remedial math. First-to-second-year retention at UCSD remained around 94 percent from 2018 through 2024 despite the policy change. The share of first-year students needing developmental math rose from under 1 percent in 2020 to 11.8 percent in 2025. Pandemic-era online learning disrupted critical math skill development. Math proficiency is cumulative, producing downstream struggles when gaps occur. Wealthier families can buy supplemental tutoring, leaving less-resourced students disproportionately affected.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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