Campuses and Clusters

Statewide, we offer a variety of academic clusters at four University of California campuses. Each cluster consists of two science and/or math courses and a science communication course. Courses are taught by active UC faculty and researchers. Students participate in hands-on labs, field activities, lectures, and discussions. Students also work on a related research project. Cluster sizes vary but typically range from 20-25 students, and the student-to-faculty ratio is commonly 5:1.

Campuses

UC Davis is located in Northern California, about 15 minutes west of the State Capitol, Sacramento.

UC Irvine is located in Southern California, approximately minutes from Newport Beach in Orange County. Forty miles south of Los Angeles.

UC Los Angeles is in Southern California,  near prominent entertainment venues such as the Getty Center, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and the Santa Monica Pier.

UC San Diego is located in Southern California along the Southern California Coast.

UC Santa Cruz is located in Northern California, in the Santa Cruz mountains, just minutes from the Pacific Ocean and approximately an hour south of San Francisco.

"My daughter learned a tremendous amount about her subject, working in teams, presenting information, and academics in a college environment. These are skills transferrable to whatever field she chooses to study."
- COSMOS Parent

2025 Clusters 

COSMOS students participate in a selected “cluster,” with each cluster addressing advanced topics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, ranging from a variety of engineering disciplines, biomedical sciences, computer science, ecology, marine science, materials science, mathematics, physics and astronomy, robotics, game theory, & more.

Below is an overview of clusters offered in 2025. For more information about currently offered clusters and their focus, refer to the websites of the specific campuses.