You can't get any closer to the beach than U.C. San Diego in La Jolla, California. Spreading from the Pacific coastline to wooded mesas overlooking the ocean, the university was founded on the cliffs above Black's Beach with an emphasis on oceanographic research. Beginning life as Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1903, the school became part of the U.C. system in 1912. Nearby attractions include the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld and the Embarcadero where you can board and tour the aircraft carrier, USS Midway. The university is about 30 miles from the Mexican border.
Students can view the Pacific ocean three miles away from atop the hill of upper campus at CSULB.
Thirty-two hundred Helen Borcher flowering peach trees give the 322-acre university a park-like atmosphere. Originally known as Los Angeles-Orange County State College when it opened in 1949, the school was established to accommodate WWII veterans. Work on a permanent campus in its present location began in 1951 and expansion continued into the 1970s. The Aquarium of the Pacific and the Queen Mary sit across Rainbow Harbor from Shoreline Village, a 15 minute drive from campus.
Pepperdine was founded just a few miles from downtown Los Angeles in 1937 by George Pepperdine. Pepperdine university has campuses not only in Southern California, but in Washington, D.C., Europe and South America. The Malibu site opened in 1972 along the famous Pacific Coast Highway. The school sits high atop the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, commanding a sweeping view of the ocean. The 830-acre site is just down the road from Zuma Beach, the Getty Villa and some of L.A.'s finest seafood restaurants.
Set against the backdrop of the Santa Ynez mountains on cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, UCSB is situated on land in Goleta that was originally a marine base. Founded in 1909 and relocated to its present site in 1949, the school is surrounded on three sides by the ocean. The department of Marine Science also has its own lagoon to use for research. The Channel Islands are visible across the water and local tour companies run daily excursions. Ten miles away, downtown Santa Barbara is a popular place for students to congregate, particularly in the restaurants and bars along State Street.