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A record 37,000 students who were offered admission to a University of California campus this fall chose to enroll, and 4,852 of them will be attending UCLA.

Enrollment statistics released Wednesday reported that more than 40 percent of students offered admission at UCLA chose to enroll, and more than half of students offered admission to the University of California system signed the statement of intent to register.

The number of underrepresented minority students increased in the UC as a whole – from 6,220 in fall 2005 to 7,354 in fall 2006.

But at UCLA, it was the reverse: The number of underrepresented minority students fell from 819 to 772.

Underrepresented minorities are defined as American Indians, blacks and Latinos.

The incoming class at UCLA will have 96 black students. This year’s class had 116 black students. But black admits systemwide increased.

The number of Chicano/Latino students who stated they plan to attend UCLA was 659 for fall 2006, compared to 683 for fall 2005.

The number of students who sign the SIR is usually an accurate indicator of who will actually attend – normally there are only about 100 students who sign the SIR and do not actually enroll, said UCLA Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Janina Montero.

The UC’s largest group of in-state incoming freshmen will be Asian-American, at about 42 percent. Comparatively, 32 percent are white.

Montero voiced concern about the decreased number of underrepresented minorities coming to UCLA in the fall.

“The number of (underrepresented minority) students, especially African-Americans, is at a very low crisis point,” Montero said. “We are very, very concerned about numbers and are looking to start a fuller, broader dialogue with students and the community.”

Underrepresented minority numbers at UCLA have consistently dropped since the 1996 passage of Proposition 209, which banned the use of race as a factor in university admissions.

“There aren’t large sweeping actions that can be taken within the law,” Montero said.

Overall, there was a marginal increase since last year in underrepresented minorities who chose to attend a UC after being offered admission.

Brad Hayward, a UC spokesman, said the changes in enrollment numbers from year to year are not necessarily surprises, because “the admission process itself is unpredictable.”

“We’re trying very much to send a message that students of all backgrounds, from all areas of the state, from all regions, have a place at the university if they take the courses and achieve at a level that prepares them for the university,” Hayward said.

The one unanticipated statistic was the high number of students who chose to attend UC Davis, Hayward said.

Davis may see 900 more students than expected in the fall.

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