University of California--Santa Cruz campus
University of California--Santa Cruz logo

Global rank #141

University of California--Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, United States

Photo: Original University of California seal: probably Tiffany & Co,; This SVG file: User:Casecrer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

About

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, its ten residential colleges enroll some 17,940 undergraduate and 1,998 graduate students. Satellite facilities in other Santa Cruz locations include the Coastal Science Campus and the Westside Research Park and the Silicon Valley Center in Santa Clara, along with administrative control of the Lick Observatory near San Jose in the Diablo Range and the Keck Observatory near the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Founded in 1965, UC Santa Cruz is a collegiate university, using a residential college system consisting of ten small colleges that were established as a variation of the Oxbridge university system. UC Santa Cruz alumni include 13 Pulitzer Prizes for 11 recipients, 7 MacArthur 'genius' Award fellows, Rhodes Scholars, Fulbright Scholars, and Marshall Scholars, amongst ot

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Key facts

Global rank
#141
Location
Santa Cruz, United States
Type
Public
Admission rate
47%
English test
Required
How to apply
Own portal

Outcomes and costs

Official figures from US College Scorecard, US Department of Education. Salaries are for all graduates, not only international students.

Median salary 10 years after starting
$68,396 a year
Median salary 6 years after starting
$49,716 a year
Graduation rate (within 6 years)
75%
Students returning for a second year
88%
Tuition (out-of-state, per year)
$50,205
Average cost of attendance (per year)
$41,179
Undergraduate students
17,940
Students per faculty member
22 to 1
Median debt at graduation
$16,666

Programmes

Showing 1 of 1 programmes.

Undergraduate · Undergraduate (all majors)

Undergraduate admission (all majors)

Tuition per year
USD 50,205 (Latest College Scorecard)
Duration
48 months
Apply through
Own portal

Deadline: Most regular decision deadlines fall between 1 November and 15 January. Check the official admissions page.

· verified 14/9/2026

Scholarships you could use here

  • Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowships · USIEF (United States-India Educational Foundation)

    Indian citizens with a bachelor's (minimum 55%) or master's degree and at least three years of relevant full-time work experience, without a US degree. Government of India employees are not eligible.

    The last published cycle (2026-2027) closed on 14 May 2025. A 2027-2028 master's cycle is not currently listed.

    Official page
  • Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships · USIEF

    Indian scholars registered for a PhD at an Indian institution, for 6 to 9 months of research in the US.

    The 2027-2028 cycle closed on 1 July 2026.

    Official page