A recent report from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) has found a significant increase in the number of students entering the University of California system without basic math skills typically expected by the end of middle school.
According to an internal report by UCSD’s Senate Admissions Working Group (SAWG), the percentage of incoming students scoring below Algebra 1 on placement exams has tripled over five years. In 2020, only 6 percent of first-year students at UCSD placed below Algebra 1, but by 2025, that figure had risen to 18 percent.
The SAWG report attributes this trend to several factors, including disruptions caused by pandemic-era school closures, persistent inequities in California’s K–12 education system, and the removal of standardized testing requirements for University of California admissions. This suggests a growing gap between what high school transcripts indicate and actual college readiness.
As a result, more students are being placed into Math 2—a remedial course originally intended for less than one percent of incoming students. The number enrolled in Math 2 increased from under 100 annually to over 900 by fall 2024.
A notable example cited in the report involves a test administered by the UCSD math department to 138 students in a remedial math class. Twenty-five percent answered a basic question incorrectly.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon commented on these findings: “Problem #1: We’re teaching remedial math to college freshmen. Problem #2: 25% of them can’t answer a basic question. Our education system has failed our students long before they reach college.”
The report raises concerns about how well schools are preparing students for higher education and highlights ongoing challenges within California’s educational system.
