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More than 106,000 students applied to the University of California for admission for fall 2006, according to data released Tuesday, marking another year of steady increase in the size of the UC application pool.

Of these 106,784 students, 60,291 applied to UCLA, and the total number of UC applicants increased 6.6 percent compared to last year, when 100,137 students applied for admission.

While the overall number of applicants and freshman applicants increased for every campus, transfer applications decreased at all campuses except UC Berkeley. Freshman applications increased in all areas, with the most significant increase seen in international freshman applications, which grew 16.1 percent.

But the number that UC Undergraduate Admissions Director Susan Wilbur most wanted to highlight was the amount of applicants from California public high schools, which increased by 8.4 percent. This year, 16.4 percent of public high school seniors planning to graduate applied to the UC.

Wilber said this increase was an indication that “some good things are happening in California schools,” and that “more students are prepared for college and appear to understand the value of a college education.”

The numbers for UCLA are for the most part consistent with those for the UC as a whole.

Thomas Lifka, assistant vice chancellor of student academic services, said the higher number of applicants will not affect the overall enrollment at UCLA.

“Our target is slightly different from last year for freshmen, but that’s because more students are graduating faster. As more students graduate faster, we can admit more through the front door. ... We are not planning any growth,” he said.

Wilbur said the overall statistics were pleasing.

“The preliminary picture for fall 2006 is very positive for the UC,” she said. “This particular application pool suggests that we continue to make progress in attracting a broad ... cross section of California.”

The increase of 8.4 percent in freshman applicants from public high schools exceeds the Department of Finance’s projected increase of 3.4 percent in 2006.

The report also showed an increase in the number of applicants from all racial and ethnic groups. The groups with the highest increase were Asian American, black and Chicano/a students.

Lifka said the increase was expected in Asian American, Chicano/a and Latino/a applicants because they are a growing portion of the high school graduate group. He said it was gratifying that the number of black applicants went up, though their numbers in the high school graduate group are not increasing.

Anu Joshi, University of California Student Association president, believes that while the increase in minority applicants is significant, improvements still need to be made.

“Of course it’s important ... that we have an increasing number of applicants across ethnic lines, but the disparity continues to exist between the number of students applying and their actual percentage of the population. ... This also speaks for why academic preparation programs are so important,” she said.

The report showed the percentage of UC applicants from low-income families did not change considerably from last year, while the percentage of first generation college students increased slightly. The number of applicants from specific geographical regions remained the same, with approximately two-thirds of applicants coming from Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Orange County.

The academic factors did not reflect much change from past years. UC Berkeley and UCLA consistently show higher numbers than the other UC campuses.

Joshi said this is something she hopes will change.

“I think it can be improved (so) that Berkeley and UCLA aren’t completely out of the ballpark compared to other campuses,” she said.

Overall, Wilbur said, the statistics are very positive and reflect the amount of time that the UC has spent working with students, families and counselors.

“The outcomes of a UC education are also well-known. We have an exceptionally high graduation rate, ... one of the highest in the nation for students who are attending public universities,” she said.

Wilbur also noted that the addition of the UC Merced campus has contributed to the increase in applicants.

With reports from Sara Taylor, Bruin senior staff.