![bike path and view of the bay](/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/04022020_meadow_LN_01.jpg)
Top 15
for making an impact on the world
by
#1
for racial and gender diversity in leadership
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Gold
for excellence in sustainability
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Leading at the intersection of innovation and social justice.
A global research university with an uncommon emphasis on undergraduate research and education, ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Santa Cruz is part of the world’s most celebrated system of public higher education, and stands among the most renowned institutions of higher learning.
News
![Several members of the Braingeneers research group, including Professor Sofie Salama, will be investigators on the newly funded ²ÝÁñÉçÇø to investigate the genetic roots of autism. (photos by Carolyn Lagattuta)](/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/sofie_350-1.png)
²ÝÁñÉçÇø Santa Cruz researchers are exploring the genetic underpinnings of autism spectrum disorder and investigating possible treatments, in collaboration with teams at ²ÝÁñÉçÇø San Francisco and ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Berkeley.
![The stellar halo is illustrated here with exaggerated brightness and density to show how far it extends. In reality, the full stellar halo is too dim and sparse to examine without painstaking hours of observation time on the sharpest resolution telescopes available. When the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches, it will be able to use its wide field of view to comprehensively image many more stellar halos of more distant galaxies. (Credit: NASA, Ralf Crawford/STScI)](/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/rings-guhathakurta-lead.jpg)
The Milky Way’s vastness and the dynamics of the cosmos defy attempts to understand our home galaxy and its history. So scientists plan to use a powerful space telescope to capture images of galaxies in the nearby universe—and the cosmic clues that surround them that could explain their formation.
![Brown bears, which the iconic grizzly is a subspecies of, have been listed by the Endangered Species Act as threatened since 1975. In the late 1800s, the brown-bear population throughout the lower 48 U.S. states was estimated at over 50,000. Today, there are fewer than 2,000.](/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/bear-dna-lead.jpg)
The National Science Foundation will fund research at ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Santa Cruz that will examine the DNA of brown bears in the lower 48 states, where the iconic animal’s numbers have seen catastrophic declines over the last century.
Voices of the Century: César Rojas-Bravo, celebrating our celestial bond
César Rojas Bravo, a Ph.D. candidate in astronomy, shows how all humanity is linked by the vast canopy of our shared night sky.
To lead means …
![student working on a model in the makers space.](/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Makers-lab-1024x682.jpg)
Creating real change
Students at ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Santa Cruz learn from incredible faculty, develop new skills through hands-on research opportunities, and have a track record of making an impact. What kind of a pathbreaker, innovator, or changemaker will you become?
![student assessing digital prints](/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/digital-printing-1024x682.jpg)
Serving our society
World-class researchers at ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Santa Cruz unlock mysteries and help to transform our world, addressing some of our most pressing needs—from decoding cancer to protecting our natural environment to creating art that challenges assumptions. What will you contribute?
![student on the beach with binoculars](/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022_²ÝÁñÉçÇøSC_research_day2-226-1024x684.jpg)
Shaping our future
A global community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni, we are committed to climate and economic resiliency for our local and coastal environments through multidisciplinary research, and sustainable and equitable practices.
Become a ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Slug, and lead the change.
Get ready for your future
²ÝÁñÉçÇø Santa Cruz graduates are sought after for their knowledge, skills, and passion. Whether you plan to start working right away, or pursue graduate school or professional school, your ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Santa Cruz degree will help you on your way.
See for yourself
One of the most extraordinary campuses in the world, ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Santa Cruz pairs high-impact research with 10 residential colleges—offering students the experience of a small liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university.
Here to help
A ²ÝÁñÉçÇø degree is worth it—and we can help you pay for it. Our financial aid program is one of the best out there. It supports students in all kinds of ways, whatever their background—with grants, scholarships, low-interest loans, and more.
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Your journey awaits.
When you become a ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Slug, you join a community of artists, innovators, creators,
and justice seekers united in using their voices to change the world.