Address: 900 University Ave, 92521 Riverside, California, United States
Agriculture and Entomology, Engineering, Ethnic Studies
The University of California, Riverside began as the Citrus Experiment Station, which the University of California opened in 1907 at the base of Mount Rubidoux. Undergraduate classes started in February 1954 with 65 faculty and 127 students, and in 1959 the Regents made Riverside a general campus with graduate instruction and professional schools. Today UCR is a public research university in Riverside, California, and it also runs a centre in Palm Desert that opened on 15 April 2005.
The university consists of three colleges and four professional schools: the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering, and the Schools of Business, Education, Medicine and Public Policy. The School of Medicine welcomed its first class of 50 students in August 2013, while the School of Public Policy was announced in 2012 and enrolled its first students in 2015. In fall 2025 UCR enrolled 27,633 students, made up of 24,034 undergraduates and 3,599 graduate students.
Agricultural science remains part of the campus identity. The Entomology Research Museum, part of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, holds more than four million insect specimens. The faculty includes two Nobel laureates, and U.S. News & World Report has placed UCR first for social mobility among public universities in several recent editions.
Domains taught:
Agriculture, AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Materials, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Part of University of California system. Designated Hispanic-Serving Institution. Strong research in citrus agriculture, entomology, and atmospheric sciences. Growing engineering and medical schools.
Research:
A research university with strengths in agricultural sciences (citrus research), entomology, materials science, and environmental science. Focus on research benefiting inland Southern California.
Famous Alumnis:
Billy Collins, Elizabeth George, Jamie Chung, Tim D. White
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
5000
Current students***:
27000
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
100000
Pros
Highly diverse student body, recognized for social mobility, growing research profile, more affordable housing than coastal CA UCs.
Cons
Located in inland Southern California (hotter climate), some programs still developing national prominence, commuter campus aspects.
Best For
Students, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, seeking a UC education with strong programs in agriculture, sciences, or engineering, often valuing social mobility and a more affordable California location.
University of California, Davis is the closest sister campus for agriculture, with agriculture and environmental sciences, veterinary medicine and biological sciences at a public university in Davis.
In Irvine, the University of California, Irvine adds computer science, engineering and health sciences to the public University of California model.
University of California, Santa Cruz is a public campus in Santa Cruz known for astronomy, marine biology and computer science and engineering.
Public and science-oriented, University of California, Santa Barbara lists physics, materials, engineering and environmental science.
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo is a public institution in San Luis Obispo whose engineering, architecture and agriculture programmes echo UCR's applied side.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Adelaide in Australia is a public university with health and medical sciences, engineering and agriculture.
University of Reading in the United Kingdom lists agriculture and meteorology next to its Henley business school, all at a public university.
University of Guelph in Canada is public and centres on agriculture and food science, veterinary medicine and environmental fields.
University College Dublin in Ireland is a public university in which agriculture and food science stand beside engineering.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
How did UC Riverside start?
It grew out of the Citrus Experiment Station, opened by the University of California in 1907 at the base of Mount Rubidoux. Undergraduate teaching began in February 1954 with 127 students and 65 faculty.
When did Riverside become a general campus?
The UC Regents gave it that status in 1959, which added graduate instruction and professional schools. Before that the campus had been an undergraduate college.
How many students were enrolled in fall 2025?
UCR counted 27,633 students, of whom 24,034 were undergraduates and 3,599 were graduate students. The figures come from the university's own enrollment reporting.
Which colleges and schools exist at UCR?
There are three colleges, covering humanities, arts and social sciences, natural and agricultural sciences, and engineering, plus professional schools of business, education, medicine and public policy. Each unit lists its own degree programmes.
When did the medical and public policy schools open?
The School of Medicine admitted its first class of 50 students in August 2013. The School of Public Policy was announced in 2012 and its first students arrived in 2015.
What insect and plant research resources does the campus hold?
The Entomology Research Museum keeps more than four million insect specimens and supports species identification and the training of entomology students. UCR's roots in citrus research date to the experiment station of 1907.
Does UCR have a presence outside Riverside?
Yes, the UCR Palm Desert Center opened on 15 April 2005. Programme availability at that site is listed on the official website.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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