Professors Demand Stronger Math Standards

protesters with signs at an outdoor student debt rally — Photo: 5D Media / Shutterstock

University of California professors say they are reteaching middle-school math to freshmen with 4.0 GPAs, and the system is now reconsidering standardized tests as a check on readiness.

Story Highlights

More than 1,400 University of California faculty urged restoring SAT or ACT math for science and engineering applicants.
A University of California San Diego working group reportedly found students below high-school math rose from 30 in 2020 to 900 in 2025.
University of California dropped test scores from admissions and leans on grade point average and coursework, with honors weighting.
Faculty argue grade inflation and artificial intelligence essays weaken grade point average and essays as reliable signals.

What faculty report inside University of California classrooms

University of California instructors in math and science say many first-year students cannot handle college-level quantitative work. Faculty describe reteaching middle-school math while also trying to cover college content. More than 1,400 professors signed an open letter calling for a math testing requirement again for science, technology, engineering, and math majors. Their goal is simple: use a shared, external yardstick to spot who is ready, and who needs help, before students arrive.

Reports tied to University of California San Diego added numbers to those concerns. Coverage cites a campus working group that found incoming freshmen testing below high-school math jumped from about 30 students in 2020 to about 900 in 2025. That is a huge increase if accurate. The full report is not included in the public materials cited here, so methods and raw data are not shown. Still, the figure has driven the debate across the system.

How University of California admissions now weigh grades and tests

University of California admissions require a minimum grade point average in approved college-prep courses. California residents need at least a 3.0, and nonresidents need at least a 3.4. The system also adds extra grade points for approved honors courses, up to eight semesters. University of California does not consider SAT or ACT scores for admissions or scholarships. Scores, if sent, may be used to meet minimum eligibility ways or help with placement after a student enrolls.

Faculty critics say that setup leans too hard on transcripts. They argue grades can be inflated and essays can be helped by artificial intelligence. They warn that these signals do not always show whether a student can solve equations or handle calculus. Their letters ask University of California leaders to restore a math exam requirement, at least for science and engineering applicants, beginning with upcoming cycles now under review.

Where evidence is strong, and where gaps remain

University of California publicly confirmed it is reconsidering test use after the faculty push and classroom reports. The admissions rules, grade point average thresholds, and honors weighting are clear on the system’s own pages. The sharp rise in below–high school math skills at University of California San Diego comes through news coverage citing a campus working group, not the original report text. That makes the 30-to-900 claim notable but still secondhand in this package.

The state of California gave a standardized test a number of years back, then messed up and did not report the results until far into the next school year. But even in the best of circumstances, tests like this do not benefit students.

— Bob (Moderna #9) Kerns (@BobKerns) September 13, 2026

The core dispute is familiar to parents and taxpayers on both the left and right. People see top grades that do not match core skills, and they lose trust. Supporters of testing say a common exam can protect standards and prevent students from paying tuition to take catch-up math. Opponents fear tests can block talented students from weaker schools. University of California leaders now face a choice: protect access, protect standards, or redesign admissions to better do both.

Why this matters beyond one university

California high schools send many graduates to public universities every year. When students arrive underprepared, they take longer to finish and pay more. Families shoulder the cost, and taxpayers fund extra support classes. Employers also feel the gap when graduates lack basic quantitative skills. This is not only a campus policy fight. It is a test of whether public systems can measure what matters and spend money where it helps students succeed, not where it hides problems.