Reputation for Excellence
Now celebrating the 50th anniversary of its opening in fall 1965, UC Santa Cruz has already earned national and international recognition both for the impact of its research and for its long-established commitment to quality undergraduate instruction.
A campus with world-class facilities and one of the most visually spectacular settings in higher education, UC Santa Cruz provides unparalleled opportunities for students to learn through hands-on experience. A commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement are also central to UCSC’s core values.
Faculty include two of the University of California’s honored University Professors, 26 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 14 members of the National Academy of Sciences, and 34 members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Recognition of the faculty’s outstanding research has resulted in steady increases in contracts, grants, and private funding across all five academic divisions, including UCSC’s Baskin School of Engineering. UCSC faculty and researchers regularly receive more than $100 million annually in external funding, with funding in contracts and grants totaling $686 million over the past 5 years. In the 2013-14 year alone, donors also contributed more than $50 million in private funds to the campus.
Research Impact
- The following are just some of the ways in which the quality of UC Santa Cruz research has been recognized in recent years:
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- ✺ In 2014, UC Santa Cruz was rated 1st in the world for research influence by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, tied with MIT.
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- ✺ The computer engineering Ph.D. program was rated 1st nationally for publication impact by the National Research Council in 2010.
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- ✺ In 2015, Times Higher Education World University Rankings rated UC Santa Cruz 2nd in the U.S. and 8th overall in its rankings of top universities under 50 years old.
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- ✺ In 2014, the UCSC Social Sciences Division was ranked 7th in the U.S. for faculty impact in the news media. (Center for a Public Anthropology)
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- ✺ In 2012, UCSC’s graduate programs in computer game design were ranked among the top 10 in the U.S. (Princeton Review)
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- ✺ In 2013, UCSC placed 11th in the annual Leiden Ranking, which measures the scientific performance of 500 major universities worldwide.