UCSC Ratings and Reviews
- 7/10 Overall Rating
- 4 Year
- Santa Cruz, CA
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4.3 6 reviews
UCSC Ratings and Reviews
Ratings
UCSC is rated within the top 34% of four-year colleges nationally and earns a CollegeSimply grade of 7 out of 10.
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Overall Rating7 out of 10
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Academics9 out of 10
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Resources5 out of 10
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Outcomes7 out of 10
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Value9 out of 10
Student Review Summary
4.3
6 student reviews
5 out of 6 (83%) reviewers rated 4 stars or higher
Students rate Campus Atmosphere highest and Housing lowest.
Rating snapshot
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5 stars
4
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4 stars
1
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3 stars
0
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2 stars
1
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1 star
0
Average by category
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Overall Rating4.3
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Academics4.3
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Value for Money4.0
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Professors / Faculty4.2
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Campus Atmosphere4.7
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Housing3.0
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Campus Safety4.3
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Student Life4.3
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Party and Bar Scene4.2
Student and Parent Reviews
If you are a student, former student, faculty member or parent, please help guide other prospective students by sharing your personal experiences at this college. What is it really like to go to University of California Santa Cruz?
Alumnus
UCSC is one of the most underrated colleges in America. The academics here are extremely rigorous and the opportunities given to us by having Silicon Valley 30 minutes away are a blessing. The college campus is arguably the most beautiful in the world and the city of Santa Cruz is the perfect place to be a college student. If rent wasn't so expensive, I'd consider UCSC to be a perfect school.
Alumnus
Unlike the previous former student, I firmly believe you get out of college what you put into it. UCSC provided me with one of the best and most well-rounded educations I could have found anywhere. It feels like during this time of COVID the rest of the US is still playing catch-up. The on-campus housing was sufficient, clean, and safe (and required at the time) for the incoming class. They provided family housing for re-entry students. The campus is also in arguably one of the most beautiful spots in the United States. Much of the campus is itself a natural preserve. The UCSC student body is known for its creativity in solving problems together with faculty and the town. I imagine there are enough smart people who will be motivated enough to put together a solution. This is a school for people who want to get involved and make a difference. Don't expect to be a passive bystander or for your education to be spoon-fed. Fiat Slug.
Alumnus
This school is hard to beat. The academics are top tier and the campus places you in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Having silicon valley 40 minutes away from you is something other schools can only dream of. This is the school to go if you want to major in computer science or astrophysics.
Current Student
I was a computer science and arts major at UCSC and I had a great time! The game design department has some notably incredible faculty. The only issue I had overall was housing on & off campus because there are many sketchy landlords in the santa cruz area.
Former Student
UCSC is a great school and has something for everyone. A research university to its core, Santa Cruz has a lot of world-renown programs, professors, and up-to-date academic spaces (lecture halls, classrooms, labs, etc.). The culture of the university is one of the most unique in the world. The only real problem I had with the school was the overpopulation of the campus. The campus is massive, but there isn't a lot of on-campus living options, especially because the city and students preach a policy of conservation and many initiatives to build new housing complexes get turned down. That ends up pushing a lot of the students into the city, which wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the fact that Santa Cruz is one of the most expensive places to live in the state. If something doesn't get done about the housing crisis soon, it can completely break this amazing school and city.
Former Student
Ridiculous experience. If you want a hippie style education and to smoke a lot of weed, go here but it's mostly a waste of your time.
Rate University of California Santa Cruz
Share your ratings for UCSC across academics, campus life, and more to help prospective students understand what it's really like to attend.
Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=110714.
Last updated: August 2026