History
Since its founding in 1965, the University of California, Santa Cruz, has earned international distinction as a university with high-impact research and an uncommon commitment to teaching and public service.
Education
Undergraduates pursue course work in 65 majors in the arts, engineering, humanities, physical and biological sciences, and social sciences. Graduate students work toward master's degrees, doctoral degrees, and graduate certificates in 41 academic programs
Research
At UCSC, formal research activities or research groups include the following:
- Arboretum
- Archaeological Research Center (ARC)
- Arts Research Institute
- Baskin School of Engineering Research Labs
- Blum Center
- Center for Adaptive Optics (CfAO)
- Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS)
- Center for Analytical Finance
- Center for Collaborative Research for an Equitable California (CCREC)
- Center for Cultural Studies
- Center for Educational Research in the Interest of Underserved Students (CERIUS)
- Center for Emerging Worlds
- Center for Force Majeure Studies
- Center for Games and Playable Media (CGPM)
- Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS)
Career
UCSC people, including about 93,000 alumni, are leaders in virtually every field; and the campus is highly regarded for the positive impact it has on society.
University of California, Santa Cruz Key Statistics & Highlights
- #133 Ranking
- 26 Masters
- 316 Scholarships
- 817 Academic Staff
- 19,700 Students
- 2,561 Students (int'l)
- 9,456 Students (female)
- Public Institution Type
University of California, Santa Cruz Overview
University of California, Santa Cruz Scholarships
University of California, Santa Cruz Scholarships
Below you will find scholarships related to University of California, Santa Cruz. Distinction can be made between scholarships provided by the University and those provided by independent providers.
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
Read more about eligibility
University of California, Santa Cruz Student Reviews & Awards
Based on 12 reviews
- 5 Star 7 Reviews
- 4 Star 5 Reviews
- 3 Star 0 Reviews
- 2 Star 0 Reviews
- 1 Star 0 Reviews
How Students Rated This University
- Student Teacher Interaction 4.5
- Student Diversity 4.5
- Quality of Student Life 4.4
Dynamic Academic Environment
My experience at this university has been excellent. The classes are very well-structured, with up-to-date and relevant content that prepares students for the job market. The university strongly encourages entrepreneurship and offers many extracurricular activities, such as junior enterprises, academic centers, sports associations, and clubs in various fields. The student community is vibrant and engaging. Additionally, the professors are highly qualified and dedicated to students' learning. I would definitely recommend this university to anyone looking for a well-rounded academic and personal development experience.
Positive overall
My experience taking classes in the UX Design certificate program was overall very positive. The entire program was online but I had many team projects and received lectures from professors. While I haven't yet found an internship as a UX Designer due to personal circumstances I highly recommend the program to anyone interested in this growing field
Is studying at UPSA worth it?
This university is really good in general. To begin with, the connexions they introduce you to. When you are studying there you notice that the people you interact with are people what can help you in the future professionally and socially speaking because they are usually the most recognized professionals in the city. Continuing, the campus offers a diversity of areas like: recreative areas, exercising areas, labs and the central cafeteria; this means the students have a variety of places to be in the campus. Moreover, the activities that the university gives not only to their alumni, but also to the general public. For instance, they have weekly conferences to teach different subjects ( artificial intelligence, finance to non financial students, etc.), they have recreational activities like a pet day, sport competitions inter careers, yoga classes. Furthermore, they make activities to incentive the students to create their own company. And last but not least, they give the all students special treatment. For example, they always have surveys to make sure the students are happy with the professors and with the university itself, they give all women flowers on special dates, they make sure the lunch time is enjoyable putting music and air conditioning in the cafeteria. To sum up, the university UPSA is a perfect environment for a student in many aspects, they help you not only in the professional development but also personal.If you have the opportunity to study there you should definitely consider it.
Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2025
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2025. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 7 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
-
Student Teacher InteractionHow helpful were your teachers?
-
Student DiversityHow diverse was the atmosphere at your university?
-
Quality of Student LifeHow was your everyday life?
University of California, Santa Cruz Rankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
Best Global Universities Rankings
By U.S. News & World Report
Dropped 4 places compared to 2025
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
3 year trend Best Global Universities Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 105 | 129 | 133 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Academic Ranking of World Universities
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend Academic Ranking of World Universities
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 151 | 151 | 151 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
World University Rankings
By Times Higher Education
Climbed 15 places compared to 2025
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 201 | 196 | 181 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
QS World University Rankings
By TopUniversities
Dropped 65 places compared to 2025
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend QS World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 332 | 393 | 458 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Student services
SOMeCA stands for Student Organization Advising & Resources (SOAR), Student Media and Cultural Arts & Diversity, and we are dedicated to the success of UC Santa Cruz's campus-wide student organizations and government
Housing services
- The residence halls (often referred to as dorms or dormitories), include both shared and private rooms; they typically house 15 to 50 students per floor and have common bathrooms.
- Nine of the colleges have both residence halls and apartments, while Kresge College is all apartments.
- Rooms are furnished and have window coverings. Each resident is provided an extra-long twin bed (39"x80"), a desk, a chair, and storage space such as wardrobe or closet. You will need to bring your own bedding (sheets, pillowcase, etc.), lamp, clock, and other personal items essential to your daily life.
Library services
The UCSC University Library has two buildings:
McHenry Library- Special Collections and Archives
- The Grateful Dead Archive
- Media Collection
- Digital Scholarship Commons
- University Library Administration
- Yoga & Meditation Space
- East Asian Collection
- Video Gaming Lab
ICT services
The Advisory Committee for Information Technology (ACIT) provides a forum for reviewing, evaluating, and recommending strategies, plans, and policies for campus information technology in order to support and advance campus priorities.
Medical services
The UCSC Student Health Services mission is to provide high quality services which promote physical and emotional well being focused on the diverse needs of students.
Campus life
A campus with world-class facilities and one of the most visually spectacular settings in higher education, UC Santa Cruz offers rigorous academic programs and cutting-edge research opportunities that guide students in how to think, not what to think. A commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement are central to the core values of UC Santa Cruz.
Sports facilities
East Field House
- 6,500 square foot of workout space
- Olympic Weight Lifting Platforms
- Over 50 pieces of Cardio Equipment
- Weight Racks
- 2 TRX Training Zones
West Field House
- Square Foot: 7625
- Bleacher Seating capacity is 350 people.
- Court Deminsions: Basketball 94' x 50', Volleyball 59' x 29' 6" and Badminton 44' x 20'
- Includes: Hardwood Floor, 6 Adjustable Basketball Hoops, Court Lining: Basketball, Volleyball, Badminton, Bleachers, Upper Balcony and Scoreboard.
- Activities: Basketball, Volleyball, Badminton, Dance, Fencing and Futsal
Student clubs
- Delta Omega Chi (ΔΩΧ)
- Psi Chi Omega (ΨΧΩ)
- Ski and Snowboard Club
- Theta Chi (ϴΧ)
Accreditation
UC Santa Cruz has been fully accredited since 1965 by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Being accredited means the campus has met rigorous standards for quality, capacity and effectiveness. Accreditation confers a variety of benefits, including access to federal financial aid resources.