A growing number of students are arriving at the University of California system's campuses significantly behind in mathematics, according to a Berkeley mathematics professor who attributes the trend to the university's "test-blind" admissions policies. Zvezdelina Stankova, a professor at UC Berkeley, stated in an op-ed that she observes students in her lectures of 500 to 1,400 students who are as much as five to eight years behind in mathematical concepts expected at the college level.
Stankova noted that during the initial weeks of the semester, she can identify students who are struggling. Instead of engaging with advanced topics like integrals, office hours are frequently consumed by lessons on fractions and basic algebra, subjects typically covered in middle school. "We pause lectures to reteach linear equations instead of expanding students’ understanding of differential equations," Stankova wrote.
Thousands of faculty members across the 10 UC campuses have co-signed open letters advocating for the reinstatement of the SAT and ACT in the admissions process. This push comes after former UC president Janet Napolitano led the initiative in 2020 to phase out standardized testing, citing "equity" concerns. Since then, admissions officers have been prohibited from using these standardized measures, which previously offered a common academic benchmark among California's diverse high schools.
Data presented by Stankova indicates a substantial decline in math readiness among students after the UC system adopted test-blind admissions. Between 2018 and 2020, approximately 71% of Calculus I students assessed were deemed ready or nearly ready for the course, with only 0.14% testing below basic algebra. In contrast, among roughly 2,800 students assessed between 2021 and 2023 using a different diagnostic, only 51% were ready or nearly ready. This figure dropped to 44% in 2023, with a significant 17% of students answering none of eight tested topics correctly.
Instructors in STEM fields have rejected the notion that the previous SAT/ACT mathematics requirement was an impediment to equity. An open letter from UC STEM faculty argued that the math requirement is a prerequisite for equity and that failing to measure preparation gaps merely shifts these difficulties into the classroom, making them harder to address. The letter contended that an admissions process ignoring foundational readiness ultimately disserves vulnerable students by failing to honestly assess their support needs and direct them to appropriate resources within the public higher education system.
In response to these concerns, the UC announced in June that it would initiate a review of its standardized testing policy. University of California President James B. Milliken stated that the Board of Regents and university leadership are taking the issue of college preparedness seriously, and the UC Academic Senate has proposed a comprehensive, data-driven review to inform recommendations aimed at enhancing student readiness and success. "There are few things more important on our agenda," Milliken said.
The debate over standardized testing in college admissions has gained broader traction, with several elite universities moving away from test-optional policies that became prevalent around 2020. Columbia University, for instance, announced in June that it would reinstate standardized testing requirements for undergraduate applicants, joining seven other Ivy League institutions.
Concerns about student preparedness are not confined to California. The University of Michigan, for example, will allow freshmen to take a semester without letter grades appearing on their transcripts, a move intended to address the "mental health crisis" impacting higher education.