September is in full swing and students are back to school. So, if you’re college-bound looking to get a good education but can’t let go of the swell, which schools are the best for our surfers? Here’s a top 5 list of schools that are either geographically situated near great surf, have surf clubs or teams, and/or have a good surf scene.
1. University of California Santa Cruz
Location: Santa Cruz, California
Enrollment: 15,200 (51% men, 49% women)
Yearly tuition: $8,862 in-state, $31,531 out-of-state
Room/board: $:$13,641
Acceptance rate: 72%
Application deadline: November 30
Top three majors: Social Sciences (17%), Biology (12%), Psychology (11%)
Surf organization: team/club
Nearby surf breaks: Steamer Lane, Natural Bridges, Pleasure Point
Average Water temp in January: 52°F
In June, we reported that Santa Cruz was the #1 surf town, so it makes sense that it would have a university that would top our list, too. In fact, Surfer magazine ranked University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) as one of the top 10 surf colleges in the nation. UCSC was crowned the best college for those who “Want to Surf at least 300 Days a Year” and called the “capital of consistency.”
2. University of California Santa Barbara
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Enrollment: 19,310 (49% men, 51% women)
Yearly tuition: $9,077 in-state, $31,746 out-of-state
Room/board: $12,765
Acceptance rate: 49%
Application deadline: November 30
Top three majors: Social Sciences (18%), Business/Marketing (11%), Biology (8%)
Surf organization: team/club
Nearby surf breaks: Campus Point, El Capitan, Rincon
Average Water temp in January: 54°F
UCSB (pictured above) is the school of choice for SoCal surfers who still want to stay fairly close to home, but be far enough to have an on-campus college experience. It has a reputation for being a party school (the party scene in Isla Vista is legendary and police monitor like crazy), but you’ve got to study or else you won’t graduate. Moreover, the surfing team is killer, snagging the #2 spot in the nation after Mira Loma (a San Diego community college).
3. Point Loma Nazarene University
Location: San Diego, California
Enrollment: 2,306 (31% men, 69% women)
Yearly tuition: $25,840
Room/board: $8,100
Acceptance rate: 74%
Application deadline: March 1
Top three majors: Business/Marketing (20%), Psychology (12%), Health Professions (11%)
Surf organization: team/club
Nearby surf breaks: Ocean Beach, Sunset Cliffs
Average Water temp in January: 59°F
It’s a religiously affiliated university, so the school can be pretty strict, requiring that freshmen attend chapel and live on campus without a car for their first year. But, with dorms overlooking the bluffs above the great waves of Sunset Cliffs, Point Loma offers world-class surf just a few steps away.
4. University of Hawaii Manoa
Location: Honolulu, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
Enrollment: 11,361 (56% men, 44% women)
Yearly tuition: $7,584 in-state, $21,024 out-of-state
Room/board: $8,493
Acceptance rate: 67%
Application deadline: May 1
Top three majors: Business/Marketing (22%), Social Sciences (11%), Education (8%)
Surf organization: team/club
Nearby surf breaks: Kaisers, Ala Moana, the North Shore (45 minutes away)
Average Water temp in January: 72°F
Well, you can’t beat Hawaii for warm weather temperatures all year round. UHM students have access to Ala Moana Bowls about 15 minutes away, Sandy Beach about a half hour away, and the North Shore is only an hour away. The swells are prolific, the water’s warm, and you can take courses that cover surf history and forecasting. Plus, you’re in Hawaii – there’s a whole surf community right there at school.
5. University of North Carolina Wilmington
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
Enrollment: 11,649 (39% men, 61% women)
Yearly tuition: $16,800 in-state, $27,682 out-of-state
Room/board: Included
Acceptance rate: 58%
Application deadline: February 1
Top three majors: Business/Marketing (26%), Education (11%), Psychology (8%)
Surf organization: team/club
Nearby surf breaks: Masonboro Inlet, Columbia Street, Oceanic Pier
Average Water temp in January: 49°F
If you just can’t leave The East Coast, or if you want to have the East Coast experience but still be able to surf, UNC Wilmington is the perfect university for you. For an East Coast school, UNCW’s surf team placed third place among 16 of the U.S.’s top college surf teams at this year’s National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) National Championships. Although there’s not a constant swell, when it’s on, it’s pretty kicking, plus UNCW boasts one of the best marine sciences program in the nation.
