Housing & Dining

Campus Life - A Time and Place of Growth and Discovery

At UC Santa Cruz, all students are housed in small-scale residential communities, which provide close-knit living environments within the larger university. Live-in student and professional staff members provide orientation, support services, safety and crisis response, and a variety of social, educational, and cultural programs for residents.

Freshmen are generally assigned to live in their college’s residence halls. Residence halls have common bathrooms and a combination of shared and private bedrooms. The specific room options available to you will be covered later in this guide. Our college also has apartments that will be an option for you in your subsequent years.

 

The Housing Application

When you complete your online housing application you will have the opportunity to rank preferences for various room and theme options. This will give us an idea of the types of housing you are most interested in.

You will also be asked to complete a Lifestyle Questionnaire. Roommate assignments are based on the questionnaire so it is in your best interest to answer the questions as fully, thoughtfully and honestly as possible. Specific roommate requests may be met as long as they are mutual.

 

Your Housing Experience

Assigning rooms and roommates is not an easy task. Your roommates may or may not become your best friends, but will surely be remembered simply because of the experiences you will share. We will do our best to find you compatible roommates, but please do not assume they will share all your lifestyle preferences. Regardless of where you live, remember one thing: much of what living on campus really offers is what you and students like yourself bring to it.

Your attitude toward, and your enthusiasm for, your new living situation is the real key in determining what your new life will be like. We do promise one thing… given the opportunity, we will do all we can to make you feel welcome and at home.

Living in a Triple Room


Residence Hall Living

 

Eight residence hall buildings are situated in two quads, each with four houses facing each other across a large courtyard. In physical structure, one house is much like another. There is no general advantage to living in one house or quad over another, though you may develop a personal preference.

Our Houses

The floor plans of Stevenson residences are virtually identical in all houses. Each floor has a large central bathroom facility with private bathroom stalls, sinks, showers, and washer and dryer. Most bathrooms are designated mixed-gender, but are modified for individual privacy. Residents live in single, triple and quad rooms. Most first-year students live in triple rooms, and singles generally go to continuing students.

Residence hall floor plan
House One 

A Space to Share
Your room is your own (as well as your roommate's), and your residential building is your home. The other residents of your building may be viewed as an extended family, and, like a family, you will share a number of common areas.

Stevenson College Room Options

Triple

Floor plan for triple room

Quad

Floor plan for quad room

View Virtual Tours

Housing Options and Themes

In addition to room options, there are also a variety of housing themes and options open to all students. These spaces are centered around shared interests, academics, and community engagement, and they create opportunities for connection and personal growth. Unless otherwise noted, themes and options are in mixed-gender areas.

R.PAATH house (Stevenson Residence Halls), R.PAATH apartments (Stevenson Apartments), ABC STEM @ Biko (Oakes Residence Halls; available to Oakes affiliates only), Shabazz apartments (Oakes Apartments), ABC STARS (Rachel Carson Apartments; available to new transfer students only), ABC @ NIJL (College Nine/John R. Lewis College Apartments), ABC @ Cowell (Cowell Madrone Apartments). ABC themed living-learning communities are located at many of UCSC’s residential colleges, and are available to students of any college affiliation. Directly connected to the Office of African, Black, Caribbean (ABC) Student Success and the African American Resource & Cultural Center, and designed for all students whose interests span historical, present-day, and future experiences of predominantly African, Black, and Caribbean peoples, these communities intentionally create space for all students to feel connected, safer, and supported in a community centered on the experiences of African, Black, Caribbean peoples.

Utilizing the community cultural wealth model, students develop cultural competence/cultural intelligence, aspirational capital, linguistic capital, resistance capital and ally development through organizing, living, studying, and socializing with peers passionate about political, cultural, popular, social, and economic issues of the African Diaspora. (supplemental application required). Learn more »

Residence Hall. This housing option allows all students, including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and other identities within the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as allies, to live together in an open and supportive environment (only available in mixed-gender areas).

Residence Hall and Apartment. Students of any gender live on the same floor or apartment and share a commitment to cooperative living through respect and consideration for one another. Bedrooms are single-gender while bathrooms may be designated as mixed-gender with private toilet and shower stalls.

Native American/Indigenous Themed Housing is a community intended to create a supportive, home away from home environment for all students, including Indigenous students and their allies.

Native American/Indigenous Theme Housing (NAITH) welcomes students from all experiences — we do not define Indigenous or Native as being only American Indian, tribally enrolled, or expect that residents are traditionally culturally grounded. What is important is the desire to connect with other students whose interests span historical, present-day, and future experiences of Native and Indigenous peoples and be part of the community. NAITH offers the opportunity to further explore cultural, heritage, and tribal connections. Learn more »

To be considered, indicate a preference for this option in your housing application (supplemental application required).

Residence Hall and Apartment. Students of a single gender live on the same floor or apartment (availability is based upon demand). Bathrooms are primarily used by individuals who identify with that gender.

Residence Hall. This community provides a space to live with others who are interested in issues related to diversity, social justice, and equity. Students from a variety of backgrounds have the opportunity to learn from one another in a culturally rich and diverse living environment committed to fostering a community that celebrates the diversity of cultures and identities of others while moving society toward social justice.

Apartment. UCSC’s Substance Free Recovery Housing offers students in recovery an opportunity to live in a supportive, substance-free community. This unique community apartment fosters camaraderie, mutual support, and accountability, with all residents fully committed to living substance-free. The residents are supported by The Cove, UCSC’s Harm Reduction and Recovery Community Center where professional and student staff offer wellness coaching, mentorship, health resources, as well as organizing substance-free events and activities to strengthen the community. Learn more »

To be considered, indicate a preference for this option in your housing application (supplemental application required for consideration).

Residence Hall and Apartment. Trans-Inclusive Housing (TIH) communities are intended to create safer and supportive living spaces for all students, including transgender and non-binary students, students exploring their gender identities, and their allies. In this context, allies are students who advocate for and support members of the gender diverse community and actively contribute to creating a positive, affirming, living environment for people of all gender identities.

Trans-Inclusive Housing communities are located in Merrill College residence halls (first-year students) and The Redwood Grove apartments (continuing and new transfer students). Students may room together regardless of gender. Please note that this room assignment is likely to be in a mixed-gender floor/apartment and all students share common areas (e.g. bathrooms). Learn more »

To be considered, indicate a preference for this option in your housing application (supplemental application required).

UC Santa Cruz Dining

Students find mealtime an opportunity to meet friends, visit and relax, study, and, of course . . . eat! All students living in campus residence halls have a meal plan included in their housing contract. Meal plans are optional for apartment residents.

Your student ID card functions as your meal card and is accepted at the all-you-care-to-enjoy dining halls situated throughout the campus, and at all UCSC Dining operated markets, cafes, and coffee bars. Slug Points declining balance plans provide the ultimate in convenience and flexibility.

 

Deliciously Sustainable

Delicious, fresh menu items are served throughout breakfast, lunch, dinner, between meals, and late night! Our rotating menus provide variety and we try to always keep your everyday favorites available.

Our program is nationally recognized as a leader in sustainability and this means plenty of local and organic selections available to you. A wide selection of vegetarian and vegan options are available throughout the day and night, and our Nutrition Specialist helps to develop meals for those with restricted diets. Our staff continually strives to meet your needs.

Salad Bar at the Dining Hall
 
What to Bring to College

Additional Housing & Dining Resources

Student studying
Stevenson Coffee Shop
Outside of Stevenson Colleges' apartments
Student at picnic table