A Math Horror Show at UC San Diego

Remember when the University of California started a trend five years ago by eliminating the SAT as an admissions requirement? Now comes the depressing result: many freshmen at one of the top public universities are unable to take mathematics in high school.

UC San Diego is widely considered one of the nation's top public universities, ranking sixth in U.S. News & World Report rankings. Thus, the new analysis of student preparation by the joint faculty-administrative committee may reflect a broader decline in academic rigor and standards.

“Over the past five years, UC San Diego has experienced a sharp decline in the academic preparation of incoming freshman students—especially in mathematics, but also in writing and language skills,” the report noted. “This trend poses significant challenges to both student success and the university’s academic mission.” That's an understatement. Do students know what these words mean?

One in eight UC San Diego freshmen have math skills that “fall below high school level,” an increase of 30 times from 2020. However, the average high school math GPA was A- for students taking remedial high school courses. This suggests rampant grade inflation in high schools. Its consequences were compounded by the UC Board of Regents' decision in May 2020 to end the SAT requirement in the name of ensuring more equitable admissions and improving the “quality of education.”