(UCSC)
Part of University of California System
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.
Ranked Top 200 worldwide across 4 major ranking systems
Ranked in 61 subject rankings
QS
ARWU
US News
QS
ARWU
US News
|
Subject
|
Rank
|
Score
|
Year
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Space Science | 12 | 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 |
| Plant and Animal Science | 187 | 67.2 | 2026 |
| Physics | =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 |
|
Subject
|
Rank
|
Score
|
Year
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Physics | 51-75 | - | 2025 |
| Oceanography | 51-75 | - | 2025 |
| Ecology | 76-100 | - | 2025 |
| Biological Sciences | 76-100 | - | 2025 |
| Mathematics | 101-150 | - | 2025 |
| Earth Sciences | 101-150 | - | 2025 |
| Geography | 151-200 | - | 2025 |
| Statistics | 151-200 | - | 2025 |
| Atmospheric Science | 201-300 | - | 2025 |
| Instruments Science & Technology | 201-300 | - | 2019 |
| Computer Science & Engineering | 201-300 | - | 2025 |
| Energy Science & Engineering | 201-300 | - | 2019 |
| Agricultural Sciences | 201-300 | - | 2025 |
| Economics | 201-300 | - | 2025 |
| Political Sciences | 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 & Engineering | 401-500 | - | 2025 |
| Environmental Science & Engineering | 401-500 | - | 2025 |
| Education | 401-500 | - | 2024 |
|
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 & Information Systems | 451-500 | - | 2026 |
| Mathematics | 501-600 | - | 2026 |
| Economics & Econometrics | 551-700 | - | 2026 |
| Chemistry | 601-700 | - | 2025 |
|
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 | 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 |