Navigating Housing Options at UC Santa Cruz

Choosing where to live is a significant decision for students attending UC Santa Cruz. The university offers a diverse range of housing options, from traditional residence halls to apartments and themed communities, each designed to cater to different needs and preferences. Understanding these options is crucial for a successful and fulfilling college experience. Student Housing Services is the best resource for up-to-date information about key deadlines, housing rates, application details, move-in guidance, and campus living resources. For meal plan options and campus dining details, students can visit UCSC Dining.

Residential Colleges and Housing Styles

UC Santa Cruz distinguishes itself by its unique college system. Upon admission, undergraduate students are affiliated with one of ten colleges. Each college provides an academically and socially supportive environment with programs designed to help students transition to campus life and connect with the university. The colleges differ in academic focus, environment, location, architecture, and programs offered. After accepting the UC Santa Cruz offer of admission, all undergraduate students become affiliated with one of the 10 colleges. Once affiliated with a college, all students are sent information about the housing options available, and instructions for completing the online housing application/contract process.

Housing options will differ depending on whether you are a freshman or a transfer student. All students have access to campus dining facilities. A space in university housing is guaranteed to all new undergraduate students entering in the fall quarter who submit all forms and required fees by stated deadlines.

Residence Halls

Freshmen are generally assigned to live in residence halls at their college. Residence hall floors are typically shared by 30 to 50 students and have common bathrooms. Students can request to live in a mixed-gender area or single-gender area. Room assignments allowing transgender and gender-nonconforming students and their allies to live together in the same room regardless of gender or legal gender are also available by request. All students living in campus residence halls (including the transfer community) have a meal plan included in their housing contract.

Apartments

Apartments, typically shared by four to seven students, have common living/dining rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms, and a combination of shared and private bedrooms. Meal plans are optional for apartment residents.

Theme Housing

A variety of theme-housing options are available for those who are interested. Each college’s residential program is a team effort. Campuswide Theme Housing options offer specialized residential communities open to all students, regardless of college affiliation or the specific college/community selected in your housing application. When completing your housing application, you’ll have an opportunity to indicate your interest in various Campuswide Theme Housing options. All Campuswide Theme options are open to students of any college affiliation.

Specific Housing Locations and Communities

UC Santa Cruz offers a diverse array of housing locations, each with its own unique characteristics and amenities.

College Nine and John R. Lewis College

College Nine strives to provide a rich living and learning environment for its residents and to support them in becoming global citizens. College Nine is located in a central location on campus and has a variety of different living facilities, including Residence Halls, Apartments, the International Living Center, and several themed floors. The College Nine residence halls - Hague, Gandhi, and Geneva - are set on a sunny knoll surrounded by tall trees and arranged around a central landscaped plaza. The three John R. Lewis College residence halls-Ohlone House, Amnesty House, and Angela Davis House-are tucked among the redwoods and offer a supportive residential experience for both new and continuing students.

The College Nine and John Lewis College Residential Life and Housing Office serves both College Nine and John Lewis College residents, assisting with a variety of housing-related issues. The Residential Life and Housing Staff consist of committed professionals and student staff who can assist you throughout your time here.

Porter College and Redwood Grove Apartments

Located on the west side of campus, the Redwood Grove apartments are an extension of the transfer community at Porter College, and provide an apartment living environment for a limited number of incoming transfer students who are age 23 or older at the time they apply for housing. Each apartment has private and shared bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, dining room, and bathroom.

Read also: Explore Santa Clara University

The Village

Located in the Lower Quarry, The Village is a unique community for continuing students. Each of the 17 houses features single and small double bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a kitchenette. A meal plan is optional. A manager’s apartment, office, laundry facility, community kitchen, and community lounge are located on site.

University Town Center

The University Town Center, located at the corner of Pacific and Cathcart in downtown Santa Cruz, houses continuing and transfer students in two- and three-person studio apartments. A meal plan is optional.

Family Student Housing

Family Student Housing has apartments for students and their families. Students must reside with at least one eligible family member on a permanent, full-time basis. Eligible family members include children, a spouse or adult partner, a parent, or a sibling. The apartments are unfurnished, and each has two bedrooms, a bathroom, a small study, a combined living/dining area, and a kitchen. Several apartments are accessible to people with mobility impairments.

Camper Park

A 42-space Camper Park is located on the north side of campus and includes university-owned single-occupant recreational vehicles that are rented to students. The park includes a community building with restrooms, showers and laundry facilities, and a lounge/study room.

Apartments near Science Hill

Conveniently located adjacent to "Science Hill," home to many of UCSC's main academic facilities, each apartment offers four single bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, dining room, and bathroom. Ground floor apartments have decks, while upper apartments have private balconies.

Campuswide Theme Housing Options

UC Santa Cruz offers several Campuswide Theme Housing options, allowing students to live with others who share similar interests and identities.

African, Black, Caribbean (ABC) Themed Housing

Directly connected to the Office of African, Black, Caribbean (ABC) Student Success and the African American Resource & Cultural Center, ABC themed living-learning communities are designed for all students whose interests span historical, present-day, and future experiences of predominantly African, Black, and Caribbean peoples.

International Living Center

A unique living environment composed of both international and domestic students in an apartment/flat style living arrangement. This thriving community of residents from around the world lives and learns together to foster international understanding and form intercultural friendship. Students will have the option to take a 2-unit Intercultural Understanding class in the Fall quarter.

Native American/Indigenous Themed Housing

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

Substance-Free Recovery Housing

UCSC’s Substance-Free Recovery Housing offers students in recovery an opportunity to live in a supportive, substance-free community. This unique community apartment environment fosters camaraderie, mutual support, and accountability, with all residents fully committed to living substance-free.

Trans-Inclusive Housing

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.

Off-Campus Housing

While on-campus housing provides a convenient and community-oriented living experience, many students choose to live off-campus. The average rent for apartments near UC Santa Cruz is $3,265/mo. Some of the popular student housing options near UC Santa Cruz include The Hill at 2601, The Village at Upper Westside, and Santa Cruz Student Housing Co-op.

Several apartments are available near the campus. Here are some examples with varying distances and prices:

2 Bedrooms Available Now 4.2 miles from campus $2,875
2 Bedrooms Available Now 0.8 miles from campus $3,990
2 Bedrooms Available Now 1 mile from campus $3,300
1 Bedroom Available Now 1.1 miles from campus $2,750
3 Bedrooms Available Now 1.3 miles from campus $3,800
1 Bedroom Available Now 1.6 miles from campus $2,600
1 Bedroom Available Now 1.7 miles from campus $2,790
2 Bedrooms Available Now 2.1 miles from campus $5,200
1 Bedroom Available Now 2.1 miles from campus $2,500
3 Bedrooms Available Now 2.4 miles from campus $4,900
1 Bedroom Available Now 2.7 miles from campus $2,750 - $2,950
2 Bedrooms Available Now 2.8 miles from campus $3,700
2 Bedrooms Available Now 4.6 miles from campus $2,595
2 Bedrooms Available Now 4.8 miles from campus $2,695
2 Bedrooms Available Now 4.8 miles from campus $2,595
2 Bedrooms Available Now 4.8 miles from campus $2,595

Key Considerations for Choosing Housing

When deciding on housing, students should consider several factors:

Budget: On-campus and off-campus housing options vary significantly in cost.
Location: Consider proximity to classes, campus resources, and transportation.
Lifestyle: Determine whether you prefer the community atmosphere of a residence hall or the independence of an apartment.
Personal Needs: Consider any specific needs, such as accessibility requirements or preferences for theme housing.

Resources and Support

The Housing Office is responsible for the application and contract records for all single students living in campus residence halls and apartments, The Village, University Town Center, and Graduate Student Housing. For assistance, students can call (831) 459-2100.

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