University of California-Santa Cruz Rankings by Salary Score

The literature program at UCSC needs work. Some classes were very informative, but the thing that is definitely missing is the diversity of authors in the curriculum. A lot of the authors that are discussed are authors in the canon: dead, white men. There are so many other incredible writers who are more than deserving of a place on a university syllabus, and the department would benefit from reflecting what the student body looks like in the authors that they choose. Unfortunately, since there are so many... Read More students, classes are huge. Instructors rarely see your work unless you're in a smaller program or room, and TAs (sometimes younger than you) are grading your work and assigning you a grade at the end. You pay all of this money to not even really get to interact with most of your professors. However, the creative writing department was excellent. The instructors are talented, passionate, and care. Since it is a smaller and more competitive program to get into, there really is individual attention. It absolutely has made me a better writer, and I feel so honored to have studied with other fantastic peers and instructors. The campus as a whole is absolutely gorgeous. There are trees everywhere, and it truly is a little city on a hill. I will forever cherish the memories riding my bike, redwoods on all sides. The weather in Santa Cruz is also perfect: 70 degrees, sun and ocean. I felt very lucky to have been able to complete my undergraduate degree at such a beautiful place.

Before making the decision to attend UCSC I had a planned major in Kinesiology. At the time I did not know what I wanted to pursue as a career but I knew it was going to involve physical activity and the functions of the human body. I heard UCSC was a great school, although costly, so I decided to attend. My major changed to Human Biology and the courses were quite difficult, but very informative. I learned about a million specific things about the biology of the human body. In the end I decided to pursue... Read More the career of physical therapy. My degree did not necessarily provide the courses to prepare you for such career. The Human Biology major is intended more for pre-med students who wish to pursue the career of a medical doctor. However, the quality of my education and the fairness of the faculty provided me with a high quality education that I do not regret obtaining, although it was quite costly.