Santa Cruz, California

Photo: Google Places photo by Vera Smirnova. Google Maps.
The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California system. Located on Monterey Bay, on the edge of the coastal community of Santa Cruz, the main campus lies on 2,001 acres (810 ha) of rolling, forested hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean. As of Fall 2024,…
Most Beautiful Campus
Ranked #19 in Most Beautiful Campus (2027). Source: Princeton Review ↗
National rank
Ranked #52 in the US by Times Higher Education (2026). Source: THE US ↗
National rank
Ranked #63 in Forbes Top Colleges (2026). Source: Forbes ↗
National Universities
Ranked #88 in National Universities (2026). Source: US News ↗
National rank
Ranked #102 in the US by CWUR (2026). Source: CWUR US ↗
1156 High St, Santa Cruz, California, 95064-1011
Visit University SiteWorld rank
Ranked #181 globally in Times Higher Education (2026). Source: THE World ↗
World rank
Ranked #349 globally by CWUR (2026). Source: CWUR World ↗
Total CoA (on-campus): $40,306
Room & Board: $18,785
Books & Supplies: $1,315
Receive Aid: 71%
Avg Grant Aid: $21,564
Pell Grant Recipients: 32%
Total CoA (on-campus): $71,083
Room & Board: $18,785
Books & Supplies: $1,315
Receive Aid: 71%
Avg Grant Aid: $21,564
Pell Grant Recipients: 32%