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University of California, Santa Cruz

(UCSC)

Part of University of California System

đŸ‡ē🇸 United States / California / Santa Cruz
Public AAU Land Grant R1 Est. 1965

About

The University of California, Santa Cruz 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 in 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...

The University of California, Santa Cruz 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 in 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.

Ranking Overview

Ranking Snapshot

Ranked Top 200 worldwide across 4 major ranking systems

US News #133 (2026)
ARWU #151-200 (2025)

Ranked in 50 subject rankings

QS QS World University Rankings
# =458
34.2
2027
THE Times Higher Education World University Rankings
# =181
15
59.9
2026
ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities
# 151-200
2025
US News U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings
# =133
4
67.2
2026

Key Facts

Students
19,357
Student-Staff Ratio
23.6 : 1
Int'l Students
10%
Female : Male
47 : 53
Staff
3,930

Historical Trend

Longitudinal View
QS QS
THE THE
ARWU ARWU
US News US News
1 51 101 151 201 251 301 351 401 451 500 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Rank
:
Score:

Top Subjects

Best-performing areas
12
Space Science
Top 50
13
Marine and Freshwater Biology
Top 50
51-75
Physics & Astronomy
Top 100
51-75
Oceanography
Top 100
51-100
Earth & Marine Sciences
Top 100
51-100
Geology
Top 100
51-100
Geophysics
Top 100
51-100
Anthropology
Top 100
56
Ecology
Top 100
63
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Top 100
76-100
Ecology
Top 100
76-100
Biological Sciences
Top 100
98
Physical Sciences
Top 100
101-150
Mathematics
Top 200
101-150
Earth & Marine Sciences
Top 200

Subject Rankings

Detailed breakdown

US News

14 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Space Science 12 67.2 2026
Marine and Freshwater Biology 13 67.2 2026
Ecology 56 67.2 2026
Molecular Biology and Genetics 63 67.2 2026
Geosciences 105 67.2 2026
Environment/Ecology =121 67.2 2026
Biology and Biochemistry =125 67.2 2026
Arts and Humanities =162 67.2 2026
Plant and Animal Science 187 67.2 2026
Physics & Astronomy =208 67.2 2026
Social Sciences and Public Health 488 67.2 2026
Computer Science =599 67.2 2026
Chemistry =783 67.2 2026
Engineering =985 67.2 2026

ARWU

24 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Physics & Astronomy 51-75 - 2025
Oceanography 51-75 - 2025
Ecology 76-100 - 2025
Biological Sciences 76-100 - 2025
Mathematics 101-150 - 2025
Earth & Marine Sciences 101-150 - 2025
Geography 151-200 - 2025
Statistics & Operational Research 151-200 - 2025
Atmospheric Science 201-300 - 2025
Instruments Science & Technology 201-300 - 2019
Computer Science 201-300 - 2025
Energy Science & Engineering 201-300 - 2019
Agricultural Sciences 201-300 - 2025
Economics & Econometrics 201-300 - 2025
Politics 201-300 - 2025
Sociology 201-300 - 2025
Psychology 201-300 - 2025
Chemistry 301-400 - 2025
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology 301-400 - 2024
Human Biological Sciences 301-400 - 2024
Electrical & Electronic Engineering 401-500 - 2025
Materials Science 401-500 - 2025
Environmental Sciences 401-500 - 2025
Education & Training 401-500 - 2024

QS

18 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Earth & Marine Sciences 51-100 - 2026
Geology 51-100 - 2026
Geophysics 51-100 - 2026
Anthropology 51-100 - 2026
Linguistics 101-150 - 2026
Physics & Astronomy 151-200 - 2026
English Language & Literature 201-250 - 2026
Biological Sciences 201-250 - 2026
Communication & Media Studies 201-250 - 2026
Arts & Humanities =331 63.5 2026
Natural Sciences =336 66.0 2026
Environmental Sciences 351-400 - 2026
Electrical & Electronic Engineering 401-450 - 2023
Life Sciences & Medicine 451-500 - 2026
Computer Science 451-500 - 2026
Mathematics 501-600 - 2026
Economics & Econometrics 551-700 - 2026
Chemistry 601-700 - 2025

THE

8 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Physical Sciences 98 62.4 2026
Life Sciences 126–150 57.0 2026
Social Sciences 126–150 50.8 2026
Education & Training 151–175 47.6 2026
Arts & Humanities 151–175 43.2 2026
Computer Science 176–200 49.5 2026
Engineering & Technology 201–250 47.5 2026
Psychology 301–400 38.3 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ranking of University of California, Santa Cruz?

University of California, Santa Cruz's performance in the latest university rankings: QS Rank =458, THE Rank =181, ARWU Rank 151-200, US News Rank =133.

When was University of California, Santa Cruz founded?

University of California, Santa Cruz was founded in 1965.

What are the top subjects at University of California, Santa Cruz?

Top subjects at University of California, Santa Cruz include: Space Science, Marine and Freshwater Biology, Physics & Astronomy, Oceanography, Earth & Marine Sciences.

Where is University of California, Santa Cruz located?

University of California, Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, United States.