UC Riverside

The 161-foot tall Bell Tower is UCR's renowned landmark A majestic sunset in the Riverside Residence Halls.

The Economics building with it's tropical landscaping The Engineering Building

Long deemed the dumpster school in the UC System (This honor now passing to Merced) by many applicants, Riverside has grown both academically and physically in the last decade. Although located in the hot, dry and almost desert climate of the "Inland Empire", all over campus, many of its sterile military barrack style buildings have been replaced with structures that boast brilliant color and designs, and scores of windows. The school has a partnership with UCLA's medical program which has added to the prestige of UCR and contributed to its rise in college rankings. Though it is located in the backwater that is the Inland Empire, Riverside attracts a host of students from the various Southland suburbs. Riverside is a predominantly commuter school, which like Irvine, leaves much to be desired in the social scene on the weekends. The school's mascot is a bear (how original) wearing a kilt, which is supposed to be a Highlander. Only time will tell if the campus' new improvements will bring Riverside up into same strata as the 'middle tiered' UCs.

Students who do not get into Davis typically are admitted here instead.

Once upon a time, UCR and UCD were very similar institutions. UCR opened in 1907 as the UC Citrus Experiment Station, soon followed by the establishment of the University Farm on the UCD campus in 1908. Development was initially so similar that library photos of UCR have been incorrectly marked as what appears to be North and South Hall at Davis. However, Davis' progression into a general-purpose campus was accelerated by the fact that Davis is closer to Berkeley, the flagship campus. Davis' location continues to be suitable for agricultural research, while the Inland Empire has conquered the farm fields near Riverside.

UC Riverside has three undergraduate colleges and two graduate schools:

• College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

• College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

• College of Engineering

• Graduate School of Management

• Graduate School of Education

Famous Alumni

UCR is the alma mater of Colorado theater shooter, James Holmes.