Best UC Campus

UCLA is located in Westwood, a very nice area of West Los Angeles. Also, UCLA is the only UC in a big city. However, Westwood has a number of restaurants, bars, and off-campus apartments for students that give it a college town feel within a city.

The University of California, Berkeley is located in Berkeley, 15 miles across the bay from San Francisco. Berkeley is a vibrant, unique college town. It’s affectionately known as “Bezerkeley” because of the eclectic students and history of radical political activism in the city. 

UCSB is located in Isla Vista, a beach town about an hour and a half north of Los Angeles. The school is literally steps from the Pacific Ocean, and even though it’s an academically rigorous institution, the laid back beach vibe permeates the UCSB culture.

UCSB also has garnered a reputation as a party school, even though not all of the students participate in the party scene. 

UC Irvine is located in Irvine, an affluent city in Orange County, California. Irvine is consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in the US and has some of the best public schools.

The city of Irvine is not known for being the most exciting place, and the UC Irvine campus is also on the quiet side. The people I know who had the most fun at UCI were outgoing and involved with on-campus activities.

UC Riverside is located in Riverside, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles. Riverside is the largest city in what is known as the Inland Empire of Southern California. The area around the campus is probably not the nicest, and students have commented on the crime and not feeling safe walking alone at night.

Originally, UC Riverside was a small liberal arts college when it opened in 1954, but it became a general university in 1959. Over the years, the student body has expanded rapidly, and the school and student body are still growing. The UC Riverside School of Medicine enrolled its first class in 2013.

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), is a research university located in San Francisco, California and part of the University of California system. The university is entirely dedicated to health sciences and is a major center of medical and biological research and teaching, and is ranked as one of the top universities in the biomedical field in the country and around the world. It was founded as Toland Medical College in 1864, and in 1873 it became affiliated with the University of California. The UCSF School of Medicine is the oldest medical school in the Western United States.

UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, a coastal city about 32 miles south of San Jose and 75 miles south of San Francisco. Santa Cruz is known for its coastline, redwood forests, and being socially liberal. The biggest tourist attraction in the area is probably the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

The campus of UC Santa Cruz is in the forest, and the students have a reputation for being a tad on the hippie side. PETA2, the young adult division of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, rated UC Santa Cruz as the #1 most vegan-friendly college in 2011. Approximately 25 percent of produce served in dining halls is organic, with much of it coming from local providers, such as the Farm and Garden run by UCSC’s Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems.

UCSD is located in La Jolla, an affluent community in the northern part of San Diego. La Jolla is an extremely nice area and has an average daily temperature of 70.5 degrees.

UCSD is known for having a less energetic and involved on-campus culture compared to other UCs like UCSB, UCLA, or Berkeley. However, I have friends who were part of Greek life and actively involved in extracurricular activities at UCSD, and they thoroughly enjoyed their UCSD

UC Merced is located in Merced, a small city in the San Joaquin Valley of Northern California. Merced is less than two hours to Yosemite National Park to the east and Monterey Bay to the west. Merced is more of a rural area. 

Also, UC Merced opened in 2005 and it has a substantially lower undergraduate enrollmentthan the rest of the UCs.

Some students wish that Merced was more of an exciting town while others appreciate the smaller tight-knit community on campus and the small town feel of Merced. Furthermore, many students seem to appreciate that they’re part of creating the on-campus culture at UC Merced because it’s only 10 years old. They get to start organizations and leave a lasting legacy for future students.

UC Davis is located in Davis, a rural town in Northern California. Davis is 11 miles from Sacramento and 70 miles from San Francisco. The town of Davis is known for its friendly community and small town feel. Many of the UC Davis students seem to appreciate that the campus is surrounded by nature.

Because the campus is somewhat secluded, the on-campus culture at UC Davis is pretty active. It’s not known for being as wild as UCSB or Berkeley, but students seem to be more involved and social on campus than students at UCSD, UC Irvine, or UC Riverside.