Founded in 1965, Irvine is one of the youngest campuses in the state's public university system, but it's already among the world's most respected research institutions — three former faculty members have received Nobel Prizes.
Students can choose from more than 85 undergraduate majors and 70 minors, and they tend to thrive within their programs: About 85% of freshmen go on to graduate within six years, which is about 10% higher than predicted based on its student body. Students’ early-career earnings shake out to about $80,735 a decade after enrolling.
UC Irvine has a sweet location in the sunny suburbs of Orange County, just miles from famous California beaches and Disneyland, and about a one-hour drive from downtown Los Angeles. Prefer spending time in nature? Surfing, snowboarding, skiing, sailing, cycling, desert camping, sunbathing and hiking are all on the table.
UCI is known for having a diverse student body, and it has been designated both a Hispanic-Serving Institution (meaning at least 25% of its students identify as Latino) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (also meaning at least 25% identify as part of that population). The university doesn't field a football team, but its baseball, basketball, soccer and volleyball programs are strong. In one of the more quaint college cheers, the "Antourage," as fans are called, cheer "Zot! Zot! Zot!" to mimic the sound of an anteater sucking up ants.
