UC Santa Cruz Colleges

All undergraduate students, whether they live in university housing or not, are affiliated with one of ten residential colleges. Every college community includes students with diverse backgrounds and academic goals. College affiliation is independent of major, and assignments are based upon space availability and request for affiliation.

Each college:

• provides academic support
• organizes student activities
• sponsors events that enhance the intellectual and social life of the campus
• check out the Housing and Theme Options available
• virtual tours of campus residence halls and apartments

The colleges enrich undergraduate life by providing the advantages of a small college atmosphere within the extensive resources of the larger university.

Founded 1965	Cowell College Cowell College was the founding college of UC Santa Cruz. Its motto, The Pursuit of Truth in the Company of Friends, represents its twin commitments to academic endeavor and supportive community.
Founded 1966	Stevenson College Stevenson College’s theme, Self and Society, links the past with the present to give students a greater understanding of themselves and their cultures, and to help them think globally.
Founded 1967	Crown College Crown College’s theme, Science, Technology, and Society, explores the relationship of science and technology with the world around us. This includes both the negative impact of some technologies on our environment and social institutions, as well as technology’s use as a tool to improve our society.
Founded 1968	Merrill College Merrill College’s theme, Cultural Identities and Global Consciousness, focuses on the relationship between the United States and the rest of the world to break down the barriers that divide cultures. Students study the struggles of peoples to preserve their cultural identity and current and past issues of global import.
Founded 1969	Porter College Porter College is a community influenced by art and artists’ ways of being in the world. Porter’s motto is Ars Longa, Vita Brevis: Life is Short, Art Endures.
Founded 1971	Kresge College Kresge College’s theme, Power and Representation, provides an opportunity for students to work closely with the instructor and each other in a seminar setting. It is designed to improve new students' writing skills, introduce students to the expectations of UCSC faculty, and help build an academic community at the college.
Founded 1972	Oakes College The Oakes College mission was developed in response to a need expressed by students themselves for a college devoted to the support and challenge of all students, but with particular attention to those from historically underrepresented groups.
Founded 1972	College Eight College Eight’s theme, Environment and Society, embodies the college’s concern for environmental issues within a social, political, scientific, and humanistic context.
Founded 2000	College Nine College Nine’s theme, International and Global Perspectives, focuses on issues such as economic globalization, world hunger, environmental degradation, human rights, and international and ethnic conflicts.
Founded 2002	College Ten College Ten’s theme, Social Justice and Community, focuses on issues such as discrimination, poverty, social injustice, and community involvement.

"Students can feel lost at a large university. The colleges at UCSC give students a sense of community." -- Tyler Keeley, film and digital media

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