A University of Distinction and Diversity The University of California, Riverside is one of 10 universities within the prestigious University of California system, and the only UC located in Inland Southern California. In the Heart of Inland Southern California, UC Riverside is located on nearly 1,200 acres near Box Springs Mountain in Southern California; the park-like campus provides convenient access to the vibrant and growing Inland region. The campus is a living laboratory for the exploration of issues critical to growing communities' air, water, energy, transportation, politics, the arts, history and culture. UCR gives every student the resources to explore, engage, imagine and excel.