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Housing
 

Q: What percentage of students live off campus?
A: About 52% of UC Santa Cruz students live off campus in Santa Cruz and nearby communities.


Q: How much does it cost to live off campus?
A: Several variables will determine your monthly housing costs: number of housemates sharing the rent, housing quality (new or seasoned), energy consumption, etc.

Price averages are as follows:

(Winter 2008)

Type of residence

Listings

Rent Range Average

Room in household

143

$400-950

$663

Studio/Efficiencies

41

$600-1150

$889

1 BR house/duplex

9

$825-1400

$1047

1 BR apt/condo

26

$760-1600

$1162

2 BR house/duplex

19

$1300-2700

$1823

2 BR apt/condo

34

$1200-2200

$1757

3 BR house/duplex

23

$1500-3000

$2432

3 BR apt/condo

7

$1800-2600

$2086

4 BR house/duplex

9

$2290-6000

$3102

5-6 BR house/duplex/apt

4

$3500-4995

$4299



Most landlords require both first and last month's rent in advance, plus a security deposit (generally equal to half of a month's rent). Be prepared to pay these costs immediately.


Q: What services are in place to help me find off-campus housing?
A: To make it easier for students to find off-campus housing, the Community Rentals Program offers assistance in finding rentals and advice on the process of renting a room, apartment, or house in the Santa Cruz area. The Community Rentals Program has a comprehensive resource center with listings for several areas in and outside of Santa Cruz. Also, the program often sponsors informational workshops on issues such as finding a place to live, how to deal with landlords, and how to take care of paperwork. Check out the Community Rentals Pages for more information and recent announcements.


Q: What is the college system?
A: All undergraduate students, whether they live on campus or not, are affiliated with one of ten residential colleges at UC Santa Cruz. Each college provides academic support, organizes student activities, and sponsors events that enhance the intellectual and social life of the campus in addition to housing students in small-scale residential communities.

Every college community includes students with diverse backgrounds and academic goals. Your college affiliation is independent of your choice of major, and assignments are based upon space availability and your requests for affiliation.


Q: What colleges are available and what are they like?
A: The residential colleges are listed in historical order as follows:

  • Cowell
  • Stevenson
  • Crown
  • Merrill
  • Porter
  • Kresge
  • Oakes
  • College Eight
  • College Nine
  • College Ten


    Q: How do I request affiliation with a college and can I change it?
    A: When you have been admitted to Santa Cruz, you will specify in order of preference which colleges you would like to be affiliated with. Assignment to a college is based on available space, taking student preferences into account whenever possible.

    It is also possible to transfer to another college. In order for the transfer to be approved, the change must be approved by both the current college and the prospective college. The transfer normally will be approved if it is justified by closer proximity to faculty and other resources central to your major program, but the change may take a quarter to be approved.


    Q: Does my college affiliation affect what classes I can take?
    A: No, it doesn’t. You may take classes that meet in any of the colleges or classroom buildings throughout the campus.