UC Riverside has a new enrollment record. The campus reached 19,439 students this year, a 7.5 percent increase over last fall.

“UCR is increasingly a campus of choice,” said Chancellor Timothy P. White. “Demand is increasing and the quality of our applicant pool continues to increase. More of our continuing students are also choosing to remain at UCR, evidence that our efforts related to student success and enhancing the quality of student life are paying off.”

At the end of the third week of classes, the official count stood at 17,042 undergraduates; and 2,397 graduate students (which includes 55 students in the health sciences.) There are 4,299 new freshmen.

“Enrollment is up largely because our retention was up significantly,” said Jim Sandoval, vice chancellor of student affairs. “This reflects well on the student success efforts that have been underway for the past couple of years.”

The enrollment is higher than projected. Admissions targets are usually set by taking into account patterns of the past. The uncertainty in the economy meant that the pattern wasn’t reliable this year.

“The academic profile of our entering class has improved and we continue to have the most diverse freshmen class in the UC system,” said Jim Sandoval, vice chancellor for student affairs. “I want to thank our faculty and staff for the effort they are making to accommodate the influx of additional students and I want to assure everyone that our enrollment growth will benefit all of us in the long run.”

The University of California application period for the 2010-11 academic year opens on Nov. 1 and continues through Nov. 30.