Cowell College

Cowell College is one of ten residential colleges that make up some of the defining experiences for students at UC Santa Cruz: our residential college system.

Founded in 1965, Cowell was the first residential college of UCSC. It resides on what was previously the Cowell ranch, flanked by redwoods and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is also near Cafe Iveta, the gym, libraries, pool, track, and Bay Tree bookstore. Cowell also houses the Philosophy department and Language program, and is located near the Humanities buildings.

PARKING INFORMATION Visitors to UCSC may purchase a daily permit at the Main Entrance Kiosk (M-7) or the TAPS Sales Office (L-7). They may also utilize ParkMobile in designated hourly/daily parking spaces. The closest parking lots to this location are East Field House (103A), Stevenson College (109), and East Remote (104).

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View of Cowell College
Sammy the Slug poses in front of Cowell
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🏠 Housing & The Residential Colleges

One of the defining experiences for students at UC Santa Cruz is our residential college system. Year-after-year, our alumni identify their residential college experience and student group involvement as central to their core identities and connection to campus. The people you will live with in these communities, the shared experiences, your growth academically and personally, are all fostered by the close-knit, home-away-from-home structure our residential colleges provide.

These ten communities, each with their own academic themes, architecture, activities, location, and support resources, provide a neighborhood for your lived campus experience. By design, our residential colleges are not connected to any specific major. This provides a wonderful opportunity to interact, live, and learn alongside fellow banana slugs from different backgrounds, countries, and experiences.

💡 Cowell College

Cowell's theme is The Pursuit of Truth in the Company of Friends. The faculty, staff, and student leadership of Cowell College invite you to challenge yourself with new ideas, to think and reason with vigor, and to extend a hand of friendship to your companions in this endeavor. Cowell is also home to the Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery that focuses on art of the California central coast and exhibitions that focus on subjects pertinent to the College; the Page Smith Library, named after Cowell’s first Provost, that houses a small private collection of books; and a printing press that teaches students about book making.

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