Welcome to UC Santa Cruz
Welcome to UC Santa Cruz!
The student experience at UCSC is truly unique, fusing high academic standards with a passion for transformative engagement in the world. This experience is shaped by exceptional faculty members whose work is at the foremost edge of their fields and who are invested in helping students grow their own intellectual interests. As a result, UCSC is routinely ranked among the top universities in the world for research excellence and impact, and our students have opportunities to collaborate with the world’s leading experts in the creation of new knowledge.
UCSC is known not just for its academic rigor, but also for the spectacular natural beauty of the campus. It is difficult to stand among our redwoods or to look out on the Monterey Bay and not feel how special this place is. Our commitment to conservation and sustainability is evident in our campus landscape.
However, what defines UCSC is not just the beautiful place or the brilliant people, but our diverse community. The motto of UCSC’s first residential college is “the pursuit of truth in the company of friends.” Since 1965, UCSC has been the site of innovation and experimentation about what a university community could and should be. Today, our residential college system provides flexible support and opportunities aimed at recognizing the student as a whole person and prioritizing their success. Only through community can we realize the responsibilities we have to one another, and the ways the pursuit of knowledge can improve the lives of our many communities — local, national, and global.
I encourage you to take advantage of all of the opportunities that UCSC has to offer. There is so much to learn about — from the depths of the ocean to the farthest stars and everything in between.
I welcome you to UC Santa Cruz and to our community of scholars.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Larive
Chancellor