The UCI campus is located near the Pacific Ocean in beautiful southern California. The temperate Mediteranean climate is conducive to year round outdoor activities, including surfing, diving, sailing and field sports. Within a two hour drive, facilities for superb snow skiing, desert hiking, and explorations in Mexican culture. Students can choose to live in convenient and comfortable campus apartments, or in the surrounding beach communities.

The UCI campus is located adjacent to University Center, a commercial and residential site that includes a movie theatre complex, restaurants, clothing stores, book stores, video/music stores, gift shops, a small market, and the weekly Saturday Farmers' Market. UCI is bordered by thriving commercial centers that include major department stores, world-renowned boutiques, a wide variety of restaurants and major hotels.

The greater Irvine area boasts numerous cultural opportunities, including the Irvine Barclay Theatre, the Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory Theater, the UCI Symphony Orchestra, The Irvine Museum, the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, and the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The city of Los Angeles, less than a 1 hour drive to the north, offers additional cultural, intellectual, and sports activities.