Belonging at UC Santa Cruz

We are a supportive community where social and environmental justice are taught and lived. No matter your background, we are committed to cultivating and promoting an environment that values and supports every person in an atmosphere of inclusivity, honesty, cooperation, mutual respect, and fairness.

Prepare for Your Future

UC Santa Cruz graduates are sought after and hired for their knowledge, skills, and passion. Whether you plan to start working right away, or pursue graduate school or professional school -- such as law school or medical school -- your UC Santa Cruz degree will help you on your way.

Be ready for the real world

Banana Slug Life

Banana Slugs know how to have fun! UC Santa Cruz offers many opportunities for student engagement, including the 10 residential colleges, over 150 student organizations, a variety of on-campus events, and lots more!

Sammy Slug

Come Visit Us !

Celebrated for its extraordinary beauty, our oceanside campus is a center of learning, research, and the free exchange of ideas. We are near Monterey Bay, Silicon Valley, and the San Francisco Bay Area -- an ideal location for internships and future employment.

Where you meant to be

Health & Safety

At UC Santa Cruz, we have resources to support your physical, mental, and emotional health, as well as safety services such as fire safety and crime prevention. UC Santa Cruz publishes an Annual Security & Fire Safety Report, based on the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Safety and Campus Crime Statistics Act (commonly referred to as the Clery Act). The report contains detailed information on the campus’s crime and fire prevention programs, as well as campus crime and fire statistics for the past three years. A paper version of the report is available upon request.

Merrill College

Our Achievements and Rankings

At UC Santa Cruz, we are known for our impactful research and our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. These are just a few of our recent accomplishments.
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Stature
1st

We are ranked as the #1 university in the nation for racial and gender diversity in leadership (Women’s Power Gap Initiative, 2022).

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Impact
2nd

We ranked as the #2 public university in the nation for students focused on making an impact in the world (Princeton Review, 2023).

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Top 20

We are ranked #16 among U.S. universities that offer their students the greatest social mobility (U.S. News and World Report, 2024).

Take the Next Step

Tuition & fees
Tuition and fees
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