University of California, Santa Cruz campus
Santa Cruz, United States
Photo: Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA)

University of California, Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz·university

#601

QS Rank

47%

Acceptance rate

19,000

Enrollment

About University of California, Santa Cruz

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.

World University Rankings

QS World University Rankings (2026)#601
Times Higher Education (THE) (2025)#251
ARWU / Shanghai Rankings (2024)#101
US News Best Global Universities (2025)#103

Campus & Location

Province

CA

Campus setting

Suburban

Cost of living: Housing: USD 1,600–2,600/mo. Food: USD 440–680/mo. Coastal CA; high cost but stunning environment. UCSC is strong in computing and natural sciences.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

All graduates from CRICOS-registered programs qualify for 12-month Optional Practical Training (OPT). STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total of US work authorisation.

Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents

A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:

GPA 3.060%+ in NEB +2, B+ average in Cambridge A-levels, or Second Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.370%+ in NEB +2 or First Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.675%+ in NEB +2 or First Division with Distinction in a TU bachelor's degree.
IELTS 6.5The most common graduate minimum — achievable with 2–3 months of focused preparation. IELTS 7.0+ needed for the most competitive programs.

Use our GPA converter to translate your exact score to the 4.0 scale.

Does my profile match University of California, Santa Cruz?

Enter your GPA and IELTS score for an instant admission likelihood check.

Uses published minimum requirements. Final decisions are always at the university's discretion. Use our GPA converter to get your score on the 4.0 scale.

Guides for studying in United States

View all

Similar universities in United States

Want us to verify University of California, Santa Cruz’s current requirements?

Our counselors can confirm the latest deadlines, tuition, and requirements directly with the admissions office — free, no signup required.

Data last verified: 2026-04-29 · Source: https://www.ucsc.edu. Information may change — verify with University of California, Santa Cruz’s official website before applying.