University of California, Santa Cruz: Are first-year students required to live on campus?

By CollegeHousing.ai · Sources checked · 2026-27

DIRECT ANSWER

No. UCSC lets incoming students indicate whether they plan to live on campus, and its new-student guidance also directs students planning to live off campus to Community Rentals.

UCSC does not publish a general first-year live-on mandate. Incoming students indicate an on-campus or off-campus housing preference during the admission process. Students who want the current housing guarantee must request university housing and meet the applicable deadlines.

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