UC Riverside
UC Riverside is based within a park-like, rural campus on the edge of the city of Riverside (population 250,000), about an hour's drive from Los Angeles. It is also about an hour's drive from Southern California beaches, lakes, mountains and deserts. The school has a small-campus feel, with a friendly atmosphere. The weather is usually nice, though occasional smog can be a problem. The surrounding University Village features many shops, restaurants, coffeehouses and movie theaters.
Student Body
The smallest of the UC schools in terms of student population, UC Riverside has about 7,000 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students. About 98 percent of students come from California, two-thirds of them from the surrounding five counties. According to recent figures from the University of California, underrepresented minorities (blacks, American Indians, and Latinos) account for approximately 25.3 percent of the student body. UCR has the highest percentage of Chicano/Latino undergraduates and the second highest percentage of African-American undergraduates (after UCLA and UC Berkeley) of any UC school.
Academics
Undergraduates are the first priority at UC Riverside, and students have good opportunities for faculty contact. UC Riverside's teaching facilities are excellent. In general, professors get to know their students, and the teaching assistants are good. One-third of the faculty is female. Introductory classes can be large, with as many as 400 students, but 90 percent of undergraduate classes have between 20 and 80 students. Students generally can get the classes they want without difficulty.
The school has an ethnic-studies department and requirement and has a strong arts program. Of all the UC schools, only UCR offers an undergraduate major in Creative Writing. It is also the only university in the United States to provide a doctoral program in dance history and theory. About 85 percent of freshmen return for the sophomore year and 64 percent of students graduate within four years. The retention rate of students of color is 87 percent.
Health Opportunities
Although UC Riverside does not have a medical school, it does offer an excellent biomedical sciences program, the only program within the UC system. Through this program, a student can finish an undergraduate degree in biology in three years and, after another four years of study, obtain a medical degree from UCLA. Admission to the program is highly competitive; 24 students are chosen from more than 200 applicants.
Financial Aid
UC Riverside offers need-based, merit-based and athletic scholarships. Approximately 60 percent of students receive financial aid; half take out loans. On average, the school meets 86 percent of a student's demonstrated need. About 20 percent of students work on campus, and jobs are available off campus. Cooperative programs in the natural sciences and health sciences enable students to earn money while attending school.
Transportation
Many students commute to UC Riverside. Although one can survive without a car, a car is an asset because the area offers much to do and see. Within an hour's drive of campus are beaches, mountains, and the city of Los Angeles.
Housing
Students are not required to live on campus, and about 31 percent do. After the freshman year, most students move off campus. The university maintains two affordable apartment buildings near campus, and other housing is available in the area. About 12 percent of students join fraternities and sororities.
Student Life
UC Riverside has a friendly social atmosphere that reflects its status as a smaller school. The campus has many activities, with more than 180 registered groups, including active ethnic organizations. Although the town of Riverside doesn't offer a lot to do, there are many opportunities in the area for outdoor and volunteer activities. The school sponsors a strong community service program.
Students also participate in a variety of varsity sports, including men's and women's basketball, baseball, women's volleyball, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's track and field, men's and women's soccer and men's and women's golf. The school is growing and changing, and students embrace a dynamic attitude.
UC Riverside May Be for You If....
You are interested in the biomedical sciences program (getting a BS plus an MD in seven years). You want opportunities to get to know faculty. You are looking for a friendly, social, small-school environment and a campus that is growing and changing.
Go to http://www.ucr.edu to learn more about UC Riverside.