Black, Hispanic Admissions Rebound at University of California

By Robert C. Johnston

The number of black and Hispanic students offered admission to University of California campuses next fall rose after nosediving last year in the wake of a ban on the use of race in admissions decisions.

University officials credit better outreach and more comprehensive selection criteria for raising the number of underrepresented minority students to 7,439 this year from 6,822 last year, a 9 percent jump. That systemwide total is just 27 students behind 1997, the last year that race was considered in admissions.

"What we hope at this point is that the numbers level off, outreach will take deeper root, and we'll see the numbers go up," said Terry Lightfoot, the spokesman for...