UC Center Sacramento

What UC Center Sacramento does

UC Center Sacramento (UCCS) is an educational program operated by UC Davis within the University of California system, founded in 2004 and located at 1115 11th Street in Sacramento — one block from the California State Capitol Building. UCCS recruits undergraduate students from all 10 UC campuses (UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz) into a Sacramento-based experiential learning program that combines academic coursework in California politics and public policy with full-time internships in legislative offices, government agencies, nonprofits, and policy-related businesses. Students earn 16 quarter units (14 semester units) and pay UC systemwide tuition and fees ($5,783 per academic year) plus a $167 program fee per term, with optional housing at 19J Midtown Lofts.

The product surface extends beyond the core undergraduate program into a portfolio of supporting offerings: the GOLD Fellowship for UC graduate students, a summer journalism program with partner outlets, the Wednesday Speaker Series of weekly UC faculty public lectures, UCCS Policy Briefs synthesizing research for state decision-makers, Research Collaboratives connecting UC researchers with Sacramento policymakers, the Governance Fellows program (established 2011) pairing students with former elected officials, and the Public Lectureship and White Paper Competition awarding up to $25,000 in research stipends. The center also participates in the CalSPEC research consortium on equity-focused science and engineering. UCCS employs 22 staff including an Executive Director (Christopher Witko, appointed October 3, 2025), Associate Director, instructional staff, and a marketing and events function.

UCCS operates as a non-commercial public-university program — it generates no commercial revenue and is funded through UC systemwide tuition and fees flowing through UC Davis. Distribution is event-driven via campus representatives at each of the 10 UC campuses, virtual and in-person information sessions, webinars, career fairs, and a Student Interest List. Admissions is selective and application-based (3.0 GPA minimum, junior/senior standing) via an online application portal at apply.uccs.ucdavis.edu. The go-to-market model is sales-led with selective eligibility gating. The center's competitive position rests on its unique Capitol-adjacent physical location, UC systemwide reach, and a two-decade alumni network spanning California state government, lobbying, media, and nonprofit sectors.

Name

UC Center Sacramento

Legal name

UC Center Sacramento (operated by The Regents of the University of California, Davis campus)

Website

https://uccs.ucdavis.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

UC Center Sacramento is an educational program operated by UC Davis that recruits undergraduate students from all 10 UC campuses to study California public policy and complete internships one block from the State Capitol. It supplements the core program with policy research, speaker series, and graduate fellowships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Public policy education
• Legislative internships
• Experiential learning programs
• Government affairs training
• Graduate policy fellowships

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. UC Systemwide Tuition and Fees: Students pay UC systemwide tuition and fees ($5,783 per academic year for 2025-26 cohort) through UC Davis, their home campus for financial aid purposes. Non-California residents pay additional nonresident supplemental tuition.
2. Program Fees: Students pay a program fee of $167 per term in addition to tuition. Summer programs have additional fees including Summer Campus Fee of $414.26.
3. Housing Revenue: Optional student housing at 19J Midtown Lofts costs $2,900 per quarter or $3,700 per semester, covering utilities, internet, and furniture.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UCCS is an academic program operated by UC Davis in which undergraduate students from all 10 University of California campuses take public-policy coursework taught by UC faculty and complete full-time internships with California state government offices, agencies, lobbying firms, and policy-oriented nonprofits in Sacramento. Students earn 16 quarter units (14 semester units) of academic credit and complete the program in a quarter or semester, with an optional summer journalism track and a graduate GOLD Fellowship. The center also convenes public lectures, policy briefs, and research collaborations that link UC scholarship with state policymakers.

Product overview

UC Center Sacramento is an integrated academic program operated by UC Davis that educates California's future leaders in politics and public policy. The core offering is a quarter/semester-long experiential program where UC undergraduate students from all 10 UC campuses take policy courses and complete internships in Sacramento state government offices. Supporting programs include the GOLD Fellowship for graduate students, the Wednesday Speaker Series featuring UC faculty lectures, Policy Briefs disseminating research to policymakers, Research Collaboratives connecting researchers with government, the Governance Fellows Program pairing students with former elected officials, and the Public Lectureship Competition. The Journalism Program provides specialized summer internships in political reporting. Together, these programs form a comprehensive public policy education ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UC Center Sacramento Academic Program (Public Policy) Quarter/semester-long academic program where UC undergraduate students from any of the 10 UC campuses take UC faculty-taught public-policy coursework and complete a full-time internship in Sacramento state government, agencies, lobbying firms, or policy nonprofits. Students earn 16 quarter units / 14 semester units of academic credit.
• UC Center Sacramento Journalism Program A summer journalism program offered in partnership with major media organizations, providing students hands-on experience in political and policy reporting through internships at outlets such as the San Francisco Chronicle.
• Presidential Graduate Opportunities for Leadership Development (GOLD) Fellowship A fellowship program for UC graduate students that provides mentorship to UCCS undergraduates, extended curriculum sessions, and internship opportunities in state government or policy research organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Many alumni are now engaged in policy careers with all levels of government or with organizations, associations and firms that work closely with government

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California State GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004UCCS serves as the primary bridge between UC academic research and California state government. The program works with all branches of state government including the Governor's office, Legislature, and various state agencies, departments and commissions. Students complete internships with government offices and policymakers.
• Host Internship OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegislative offices, government agencies, departments, commissions, associations, nonprofits and businesses involved in public policy provide internship placements for UCCS students. Contact for hosting interns goes through Associate Director Cindy Simmons.
• CalSPEC (California Science + Engineering Partnership)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalSPEC is a research consortium that advances equity-focused science and engineering research in California. The program includes faculty advisors, consortium advisory council, and staff working on environmental health research topics like near-roadway indoor air pollution and microplastics.
• UC System Academic PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCCS collaborates with faculty and researchers across all 10 UC campuses (Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, LA, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz) for teaching, research, and public service activities. The Faculty Council includes professors from multiple UC campuses.
• 19J Midtown LoftsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUCCS has a limited number of reserved spaces at the 19J Midtown Lofts in Sacramento for student housing. Students receive quarter- or semester-long leases with utilities, internet, and furniture included.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UC Washington Center (UCDC): Operated by the University of California system, UCDC is UCCS's direct counterpart in Washington, D.C., offering UC undergraduates experiential learning and internships in federal government — same model, different state capital.
• University of Albany Rockefeller College of Public Affairs: SUNY Albany's public affairs school located in New York's state capital; the closest direct peer model — a public university public-policy school embedded in a state capital for experiential learning.

Broad incumbents

• UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy: UC system's premier graduate public policy school; broader curriculum but shares the same UC public-policy-training mandate and overlapping faculty and applicant pool with UCCS.
• UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy: Another UC-system public policy graduate program, focused on international and domestic policy; comparable in mission to train policy leaders within the same university system.
• USC Sol Price School of Public Policy: Major California-based public policy school that competes for the same California policy-interested student talent and produces graduates entering Sacramento and California state government roles.
• American University School of Public Affairs: Washington, D.C.-based public affairs school with strong experiential learning and government placement; mirrors UCCS's model at the federal level rather than state.
• Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy: Elite D.C.-based public policy school emphasizing data-driven policy and government careers; comparable in mission to train students for policy careers in and around government.
• Pepperdine School of Public Policy: California-based public policy graduate program with strong state and local government orientation; competes for the same California policy-interested student market.
• Duke Sanford School of Public Policy: Top-tier U.S. public policy school with an applied policy focus; comparable in training future policy leaders and placing graduates into government roles.

Regional players

• Sacramento State (California State University, Sacramento): The host-city public university with its own government and public policy programs; serves as a regional competitor for Sacramento-located policy students and internships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UC Center Sacramento