UC Riverside
is a major research institution and a member of the ten-campus University of
California System, widely regarded as one of the best systems of public higher
education in the world. Founded as a research institution in 1907, Riverside is
the oldest of the University of California's southern campuses. UCR combines
the intellectual and material resources of the UC system with a uniquely
intimate research environment, fostering frequent and high-powered
faculty/student contact unavailable at other universities. Currently with a
student population of 12,000, UCR is expected to grow to 21,000 students by
2010. Of the 13,063 students, currently 12 percent are graduate students.
The 1200-acre
Riverside campus of the University of California is conveniently located
between Los Angeles, Palm Springs, and San Diego with affordable housing. This location provides easy access to
Pacific Ocean beaches, mountains, and numerous cultural activities (art exhibitions,
stage productions, dance, opera, classical music, and rock concerts) within a
60-mile drive.
The city of
Riverside, with the UCR campus on its eastern edge, is accessible by several
highways. The nearby Ontario International Airport has daily flights to many of
the nation’s major cities as well as connecting commuter flights to the Los
Angeles International Airport. Known for its many citrus groves, palm-lined
avenues, and wide array of subtropical shade trees, Riverside is a pleasant
oasis in the inland region of Southern California. Its “Mediterranean image”
derives from fine architecture in the California Mission Revival and Spanish
Colonial styles that dot its landscape. One of the most famous of these
landmarks is the Mission Inn, built between 1902 and 1932 by Frank A. Miller
and his partner, Henry Huntington. This splendid old hotel – with its rich
decor, fine dining, marvelous chapel, elegant courtyards, tiled circular
stairway and other amenities – continues to draw visitors and guests from
around the world. Additional City of
Riverside information is available here.