University of California:
The University of California (UC) is a public
university system in the state of California. Under the California
Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California
is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system,
which also includes the California State University system and
the California Community Colleges system.
The University of California has a combined student body of more
than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined
systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion. Its
first campus was founded in 1868, while its tenth and newest campus
opened in the fall of 2005 near the city of Merced, California.
All campuses enroll both undergraduate and graduate students,
with two exceptions: the University of California, San Francisco
campus enrolls only graduate and professional students in the
medical and health sciences, and the independently administered
Hastings College of the Law enrolls only graduate students. Eight
of its campuses are ranked among the top 50 public universities
in the United States by U.S. News and World Report.