The University of California, Irvine is a prestigious public research university founded in 1965, serving nearly 28,000 students with a strong commitment to rigorous academics and cutting-edge research. The most popular majors at UC Irvine include biology/biological sciences, business/managerial economics, psychology (particularly research and experimental psychology), and computer science, with biological sciences being the top major with 766 degrees awarded annually. The university is known for its excellence in research innovation and is recognized as a major research institution within the UC system, contributing significantly to the local and global community. The 1,478-acre campus is located in the heart of Orange County in one of the safest large cities in the nation, nestled in rolling coastal foothills just five miles from pristine Pacific Ocean beaches with a perfect Mediterranean climate.