WhatsApp
UC-SantaCruz logo

UC-SantaCruz

7.4(5)
VerifiedPublicEstd. 1965
Founded
1965
Type
Public
University Guide

About UC-SantaCruz

Explore overview, courses, fees, admissions, campus life, scholarships and student accommodation guidance in one premium Admistay guide.

Why Study at University of California, Santa Cruz?

  • Programs: University of California, Santa Cruz offers 64 undergraduate majors, 41 minors, and 65 graduate programs. Top ranked programs at UCSC are Geophysics and Linguistics with ranks #51 and #53 respectively.
  • Admission Requirement: To secure admission at University of California-Santa, Applicants are required to have an average GPA of 3.6. However, students are recommended to strive for a 3.78 GPA. In addition, students admitted to UC Santa Cruz have an average SAT score of 1200-1380.
  • Cost of Attendance: UC students at all campuses pay the same USD 12,570 in systemwide tuition and fees. However, international students pay an additional USD 29,754 in nonresident supplemental tuition, which makes a total of USD 42,324 i.e 31.54 lakhs. Also Check: Cost of Living in USA.
  • Campus: Student Organizations, Advising, and Resources (SOAR) facilitate up to 174 student organizations pertaining to different interests of students at the campus of UCSC. The university also has 21 competitive sports clubs and 15 recreational sports.

University of California, Santa Cruz Rankings

It is one of the most reputed universities in the USA. The rankings of the University of California Santa Cruz by reputed agencies are tabulated below: 

  • #347 QS World University Rankings 2022
  • #80 US Universities by QS Ranking 2022
  • #103 in National Universities by US News & World Report 2022
  • #70 in Most Innovative Schools by US News & World Report 2022
  • #191 in Best Value Schools by US News & World Report 2022
  • #46 in Top Public Schools by US News & World Report 2022

Highlights

Institution Type Public
Establishment Year 1965
Location Santa Cruz, California
Campus Setting Suburban
Student population 19,494
% of international students 7.6%
Acceptance Rate 64.7%
Retention Rate 89%
Graduation Rate 75%
Student to faculty ratio 25:1
No. of Campuses 10
Financial Aid Scholarships

University of California, Santa Cruz Campus

University of California, Santa Cruz campus covers 2,000 acres of land overlooking the scenic Monterey Bay. Out of the total area, 55% of the land has been designated as a protected natural landscape. There is one main campus and two satellite campuses in Silicon Valley Campus, and Santa Clara Coastal Science Campus.

  • The University has two library buildings - McHenry Library, and Science and Engineering Library that provides access to a large number of research guides, digital collections, video games, journals, general books, both remotely and physically to students.
  • Student Organizations, Advising, and Resources (SOAR) facilitates up to 174 student organizations pertaining to the different interests of students.
  • As a part of UC Santa Cruz Athletics and Recreation, some sports and recreational facilities are available at the university’s east and west campuses. These include a swimming pool, dance studio, gym, golf court, lower field, fitness center, basketball courts, multi-purpose room, martial arts studio, racquetball courts, tennis courts, etc
  • There are 21 competitive sports clubs and 15 recreational sports are open to students at the university.

University of California, Santa Cruz Accommodation

There are mainly four types of accommodation facilities available at UCSC namely In-class accommodation, Coursework accommodation, Exam accommodation, and other accommodation

  • The facility includes in-house halls are furniture, adaptive equipment, dining halls, ADA accessible rooms, debunked beds, visual fire alarm, parking and van service, etc
  • All undergraduate students living in residence halls must select a 7-Day or 5-Day Meal plan.
  • Slug meals are easy and affordable dining options for students living off-campus.
  • Rents for resident halls, suite and all undergraduate apartments as well as meal plan costs are billed at the beginning of each semester.

Also Check: 

Student Accommodation in USA Best Student cities in USA
University of California, Santa Cruz Courses
  • Programs offered at the UCSC include 64 undergraduate majors, 41 minors, and 65 graduate programs.
  • Graduate programs are offered in 60 degree tracks.
  • The University offers programs through 5 divisions i.e. Arts, Engineering, Humanities, Physical and Biological Sciences, and Social Sciences.
  • Through a part of the school’s academic facet called USSC Extension, are offered online programs that comprise 350 courses, 27 certificates, 151 open sections, and 243 online instructors.
  • Different types of programs such as Pre Law, Premedicine, Education, etc. are offered at the university which serves as pathways for different majors.

University of California, Santa Cruz Application Process

Candidates seeking admission to the University of California, Santa Cruz must note that the admission process and requirements vary for undergraduate and graduate applicants. An international applicant can apply either as a freshman or transfer student. The University only offers Fall enrollment. International applicants must take note of the following details before applying:

Application Portal: University of California Application for Admission
Application Fee: 80 USD
Admission Requirements:

  • High/secondary school transcripts with records of grades/ marks in each subject
  • Certificate of completion
  • SAT/ ACT scores (optional for Fall 2021 and 2022)
  • Letter of Recommendation
  • Copy of passport
  • Financial documents
  • English language proficiency test scores 
    • TOEFL iBT- 6.5
    • IELTS- 80

University of California, Santa Cruz Cost of Attendance

The annual budget for undergraduate and graduate students enrolling in 2022-23 Fall, Winter, and Spring is given in the table below. The cost of attendance for international undergraduate students is as follows:

Category Cost for UG in INR Cost for PG in INR
Tuition and Fees 33.49 lakhs 22.16 lakhs
Room and Board

13.34 lakhs

16.42 lakhs
Books and Supplies

0.87 lakhs

0.49 lakhs
Transportation

0.61 lakhs

1.35 lakhs
Personal Expenses

1.17 lakhs

1.74 lakhs

Campus Health Insurance

2.26 lakhs

3.80 lakhs

University of California, Santa Cruz Scholarships/Financial Aid

University of California, Santa Cruz offers a plethora of undergraduate scholarships with a cumulative value of over 3.7 million USD every year to all undergraduate students. International students are only eligible to apply for the Dean’s Award and Regents Scholarship. The details of these awards are as follows:

  • Undergraduate Dean's Scholarships: With a varying value of 12,000 USD to 40,000 USD spread over four years, this scholarship is awarded to newly admitted non-resident freshmen who exhibit academic and cultural contributions to the community of scholars. It is an automatic scholarship, so there is no need for a separate application.
  • Regents Scholarship: This is the highest honor awarded by the University to entering undergraduates. The value of this award is 20,000 USD paid over 4 years. Additionally, students also receive a housing guarantee as a part of the award. It is given to students with outstanding academic records.
  • The University has also provided a list of private resources that can help international students to find scholarships to study in the U.S.

Also Check: 

Education loans to study in USA Part time jobs in USA

University of California, Santa Cruz Alumni Network

Over the years, University of California, Santa Cruz has produced more than 130,000 alumni around the world. The members of the university alumni association are entitled to several benefits and services that include:

  • Library access like free borrowing privileges at participating UC campus libraries.
  • Alumni can use the university's campus for wedding purposes at affordable rates.
  • Alumni online locator service through the alumni Online Directory for old roommates and UCSC friends.
  • Discounts on ticket prices for most of UCSC’s Arts Division Performances.

Notable Alumni:

  • Dana Priest –American Journalist
  • Jayne Ann Krentz -American writer
  • Andy Samberg –Actor
  • Cary Joji Fukunaga –American filmmaker

Also Check: Alumni Reviews of UCSC

University of California, Santa Cruz Placements

According to Payscale, the average salary of University of California, Santa Cruz graduates is 75,804 USD. The graduates working in the IT and Software development sector earn 108,000 USD every year on average according to Emolument. While Ph.D. graduates from UCSC earn a whopping 136,000 USD every year on average as reported by Emolument.

The University of Notre Dame offers its students a work-study facility where they and learn and earn at the same time

  • University conducts regular workshops and events relating to internship & job fairs, webinars, etc
  • UCSC also provides online career videos on-demand, online assessments, career coaches. It also has a CAN (Career Advice Network)
  • The median starting salary of University of California Santa Cruz graduate/alumni according to US News is USD 53,400
  • The salary of University of California Santa Cruz alumni after 10 years of graduation as per THE is USD 44,533
  • A total of 91% of graduates get employed after 2 years of graduation

The average salaries of the University of California Santa Cruz graduates after 2 years of graduation is following:

Basis Salary (in USD/year)
Median Salary 33,800 
25% of graduate earn less than 19,400 
25% of graduate earn more than 50,200

Also Check: High paying jobs in USA

According to a survey by UCSC Career Center, 36% of Computer Engineering graduates were employed full-time within 6 months of graduation and 84% were interested in pursuing advanced degrees in various fields from 2014-2016. The University also provides career services to students by organizing workshops, jobs and internship fairs, campus interviews, information sessions, speaker series, etc.

FAQs

Ques. What is the acceptance rate of the University of California Santa Cruz?

Ans. University of California Santa Cruz is quite selective while accepting candidates for final admissions. The acceptance rate in fall 2019 was 52% only.

Ques. Is the University of California Santa Cruz a reputed university?

Ans. It has been ranked 61st best undergraduate teaching college by US News. THE and QS have also ranked the University of California Santa Cruz in the top lists. Yes, it is a good school.

Ques. What are the major programs offered at UCSC?

Ans. Some major programs offered here are Engineering, Biology, Arts, Humanities, and Social Science.

Ques. What is the University of California Santa Cruz known for?

Ans. It comes under the prestigious University of California. UCSC is public liberal arts and research university.

Ques. What is the national ranking of the University of California Santa Cruz?

Ans. US News has ranked it 97th in the US while Times Higher Education has ranked under 255th in US College ranking 2021.

Ques. What is the application deadline of the University of California Santa Cruz?

Ans. The admission deadline for fall 2021 for freshmen is March 31.

Ques. What is the median salary of UCSC graduates/alumni?

Ans. The median salary of the University of California Santa Cruz after 2 years of graduation is USD 33,800 annually.

Ques. Does UCSC provide on-campus housing facilities?

Ans. Yes. There are mainly four types of accommodation facilities available at UCSC namely In-class accommodation, Coursework accommodation, Exam accommodation, and other accommodation

Courses & Fees

Compare courses in a cleaner, easier way

Explore tuition, duration, language, eligibility, and exam requirements without the clutter.

Courses

66

Fee from

₹22,88,691.72

Exams

TOEFL · IELTS

Showing 5 of 49 bachelors

Overview
Degree TypeBachelor
Duration4 years
Study ModeFull Time
LanguageEnglish
Fees
Tuition FeeINR 32 L/Yr
Native FeeUSD 34,200 /Yr
Estimated Total₹464873
Fee trendTuition progression
Official Program Page
Admission Guide

Admission Process

University of California Santa Cruz Admission 2022

  • Programs: Programs offered at the UCSC include 65 graduate programs, 64 undergraduate majors, and 41 minors, with access to world-class teachers and facilities through its 5 divisions.
  • Enrollment: UCSC enrolls around 18,000 annually. In the recent academic year, University of California- Santa Cruz saw a total student enrollment of 19,494 including 17,517 undergraduate students out of which 12% are international students. Also Check: Student Reviews of UCSC.
  • Financial Aid: University of California, Santa Cruz offers scholarships with a cumulative value of over 3.7 million USD every year to all undergraduate students. However, International students are only eligible to apply for the Dean’s Award and Regents Scholarship which ranges from 12,000 USD to 40,000 USD (8.93 lakhs to 29.79 lakhs). Explore: Scholarships to study in the U.S.

University of California Santa Cruz Admission Highlights 

International Application Fee 80 USD.
Application Season Fall (for most undergraduate programs).
Application Portal University web portal.
Acceptance Rate 64.7%.
GPA 3.4 (~90%).
Application Deadline November 30.
Admission Decision Mid-March.
Standardized Tests SAT or ACT.
English Proficiency Tests IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo and equivalents.
Website https://www.ucsc.edu/

University of California Santa Cruz Admission Deadlines 

The university only offers fall-term enrollment to undergraduate students. The standard admission period of University of California Santa Cruz is November 1-30. However, the university approves late admission appeals with satisfactory reasons. Following are the estimated dates and deadlines for admission to the university:

Deadlines Dates
Application beginning November 1, 2021 (Closed)
Application Deadline November 30, 2021
Supporting documents submission for financial aid March 2-May 1, 2022
Fall admission decision March 2-May 1, 2022
International student orientation September 2022 

University of California Santa Cruz International Admissions

The university uses a process called the comprehensive review to inspect the eligibility of the candidates. The process examines how hard the candidate has worked in utilizing the opportunities available in their school, community, and extracurricular activities. No admission decision is approved based on a single exclusive area. The international students are required to meet the following eligibility criteria to take admission to University of California:

Application Portal: University of California Application for Admission
Application Fee: 80 USD
Admission Requirements:

  • High/secondary school transcripts with records of grades/ marks in each subject
  • Certificate of completion
  • SAT/ ACT scores (optional for Fall 2021 and 2022)
  • Letter of Recommendation
  • Copy of passport
  • Financial documents

Also Check: 

International students with a non-English primary language are required to provide an English language test score. Following are the tests and the minimum scores required for University of California Santa Cruz admission:

Tests Required Scores
IELTS 6.5
TOEFL PBT 550
TOEFL iBT 80
SAT Writing and Language 31
SAT before March 2016 560
ACT combined English writing or English-language arts 24
Duolingo 115
AP English Language and Composition or English Literature and Composition 3,4,5
IB Standard Level Literature or Language or Literature score 6 or 7
IB Higher Level Literature or Language or Literature score 5,6 or 7

US Student Visa Process

Once UCLA issues the I-20 Form, students can proceed with the application of a student visa to study in USA and payment of the SEVIS Fee. They need to contact the US Embassy/ Consulate in their home country to ensure the documents required for the student visa application. 

The general documents required for the visa application include-

  • Copy of a valid Passport
  • Completed visa application along with the receipt of visa application fee
  • Passport size photographs
  • I-20 form issued by the university
  • Acceptance letter from UCLA
  • Scholarship/ Sponsorship Letter(if applicable)
  • Immunization Form 
  • Health Examination Form 

You will have to appear for a visa interview with the US Embassy in their home country. Upon clearing the interview a stamp will be issued on the passport which acts as the visa to the USA.

Also Check: 

The university utilizes 13 criteria approved by the faculty approved criteria to determine individualized scores for each applicant. Nearly 18,000 enrollments to the undergraduate programs in University of California were recorded.

Application Portal: Online application portal
Application Fee: 80 USD
Admission Requirements:

  • High/secondary school transcripts with records of grades/ marks in each subject
  • Certificate of completion
  • SAT/ ACT scores
  • Proof of English language proficiency
  • Copy of passport
  • Financial documents

University of California Santa Cruz Graduate Admissions

More than 1,900 graduate students took admission in the University of California Santa Cruz. The University of California encourages the students to apply for programs of the students choice where the average GRE scores of the recent batch is lesser than the score obtained by the applicant. This is done to ensure the selection of the student.

Application Portal: online application portal 
Application Fee: 80 USD

UCSC Graduate Admission Requirements

The major requirements for admission to the graduate programs at University of California are given below:

  • Official Transcripts.Scores from graduate admission exams like GRE, GMAT etc.
  • Statement Of Purpose
  • English proficiency test scores.
  • Letter Of Recommendations

The following graduate admission exams are required for the specific graduate programs offered by the university:

  • GRE is required by most of the graduate schools of the university.
  • Graduate business schools require GMAT scores.
  • LSAT scores are required for law schools.
  • The medical schools require MCAT scores.
  • DAT is required by dental schools.
  • PCAT is required by many pharmacy schools.
  • OAT is required for the optometry courses.

Admission in the University of California Santa Cruz is moderately selective for meritorious international students. Applicants can get admission to their favorite program with a GPA better than the average GPA of the previous batch.

FAQ

Ques. What is the acceptance rate of University of California Santa Cruz?

Ans: The acceptance rate of University of California Santa Cruz is 52%.

Ques. What is the application deadline for admission in University of California Santa Cruz?

Ans: November 30 is the standard application deadline for admission in University of California Santa Cruz.

Ques. How much is the application fee for the students in University of California Santa Cruz?

Ans: The application fee for the international students in the university is 80 USD.

Ques. What are the english language requirements for admission to the University of California?

Ans: A minimum IELTS score of 6.5, TOEFL PBT score of 550, Duolingo score of 115 or equivalents are required for admission in the University of California.

Ques. What are the average SAT or ACT scores of the eligible applicants applying for University of California admissions?

Ans: An average ACT score of 24-30 and SAT score of 1190-1390 are the minimum requirements for admission in the University of California Santa Cruz.

Placements & Recruiters

UC-SantaCruz Placement Details

UC-SantaCruz in Santa Cruz, California, United States placement details include salary insights, top recruiters, and hiring trends to help students understand career outcomes and campus opportunities.

Students usually compare highest package, average package, and recruiter profile before applying. This section gives a compact overview of career outcomes and placement visibility in Santa Cruz, California, United States.

Recruiters
N/A
Salary Metrics
0/2
Placement Metric

Highest Package

N/A

Represents the top salary package reported in the available placement information.

Placement Metric

Average Package

N/A

Shows the typical package range students may expect based on the available average salary data.

Placement information is currently limited.

More salary or recruiter data may be updated later for this college.

Rankings over the years

Year-wise highlights from global and country rankings available for this university.

2022

Highlights
2022
  • Best overall country rank: #39
  • Earth Sciences: #17 in country
  • Top source: ARWU
  • 29 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall, Business
  • 5 ranking records in 2022

2023

Highlights
2023
  • Best overall country rank: #39
  • Computer Science: #17 in country
  • Top source: US News
  • 25 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall, Arts
  • 3 ranking records in 2023

2024

Highlights
2024
  • Best overall country rank: #34
  • Anthropology: #18 in country
  • Top source: QS
  • 19 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall, Arts
  • 3 ranking records in 2024

2025

Highlights
2025
  • Best overall country rank: #49
  • Earth Sciences: #10 in country
  • Top source: US News
  • 16 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall, Arts
  • 4 ranking records in 2025

2026

Highlights
2026
  • Best overall country rank: #48
  • Arts: #47 in country
  • Top source: Collegedunia
  • 6 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall, Engineering
  • 3 ranking records in 2026

Contact Information

1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA 95064

+1-831-459-0111

Student Reviews & Ratings

Overall sentiment and category-wise rating summary

Overall score

7.4/10
Top Rated

Based on 5 ratings

Rating Breakdown

Visual summary of rating distribution and categories

Live Summary
Academic
7.8/10
Faculty
8.0/10
Infrastructure
7.8/10
Accommodation
6.6/10
Placement
6.8/10
Extracurricular
7.4/10