在美国大学新生录取中，录取率（admission rate）是指被录取学生人数占总申请人数的百分比；入学率（enrollment rate）则是指被录取学生中实际入学的人数占录取人数的百分比。
- 录取率：用“录取人数 ÷ 申请人数”计算，并以百分比表示。例如，10,000 名申请者中有 1,000 名被录取，则录取率为 10%。
- 入学率：用“实际入学人数 ÷ 录取人数”计算，并以百分比表示。例如，1,000 名被录取的学生中有 600 名入学，则入学率为 60%。
由于申请者可能同时收到多所大学的录取通知书（Offer），但最终只能选择其中一所就读，因此即使某所大学向大量申请者发出录取通知，真正到校注册报到的人数可能只占其中一部分。
为了确保新生入学人数能够达到招生目标，大学通常会根据往年经验和历史数据，适当多发 Offer，以提高入学人数的可控性。这是一项需要精准预测与平衡的工作：发得过多，可能导致入学人数超出学校的接纳能力；发得过少，则可能需要在接下来的冬季或春季学期再次招生。
在 加州大学戴维斯分校（UC Davis）2025–2026 学年招生周期中，共收到 120,131 份申请，其中 55,739 名申请者获得录取，录取率为 46.4%。预计在 2025 年秋季，将有约 9,750 至 9,800 名新本科生入学，入学率约为 17.5%。
Admission Rate and Enrollment Rate in U.S. Universities
In U.S. university admissions for first-year students, the admission rate refers to the percentage of applicants who are admitted, while the enrollment rate refers to the percentage of admitted students who actually enroll.
- Admission Rate: Calculated as Number of Admitted Students ÷ Total Number of Applicants, expressed as a percentage. For example, if 1,000 out of 10,000 applicants are admitted, the admission rate is 10%.
- Enrollment Rate: Calculated as Number of Enrolled Students ÷ Number of Admitted Students, expressed as a percentage. For example, if 600 out of 1,000 admitted students enroll, the enrollment rate is 60%.
Since applicants often receive admission offers from multiple universities but can only choose one to attend, even if a university sends out many offers, only a portion of those admitted will ultimately enroll.
To ensure that enrollment targets are met, universities often issue more offers than the number of available seats, based on historical data and experience. This requires precise forecasting and careful balance: issuing too many offers may result in more students enrolling than the university can accommodate, while issuing too few may require additional recruitment in the winter or spring intake.
For the UC Davis 2025–2026 admissions cycle, a total of 120,131 applications were received. Of these, 55,739 applicants were offered admission, resulting in an admission rate of 46.4%. Approximately 9,750 to 9,800 new undergraduates are expected to enroll at UC Davis for the fall of 2025, with the enrollment rate estimated at about 17.5%.