The Riverside Unified School District and the Alvord Unified School District, which accommodates the southwestern part of the city and adjacent unincorporated areas, serve the city of Riverside.
There are 42,000 students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 in 45 schools in the Riverside Unified School District. The following is a summary of data regarding the Alvord Unified School District as of the 2003-2004 school year.
Total enrollment: 19,200
Number of facilities
elementary schools: 12
junior high/middle schools: 4
senior high chools: 3 (includes 1 continuation high school)
Student/teacher ratio: 23:1
Teacher salaries
average: $59,867
Funding per pupil: $6,357
Public Schools Information: Alvord Unified School District, 10365 Keller Avenue, Riverside, CA 92505; telephone (951)509-5000. Riverside Unified School District, 3380 14th Street, Riverside, CA 92501; telephone (951)788-7134
The University of California, Riverside (UCR) is one of the most diverse public universities in the nation; U.S. News and World Report ranked UCR third in this distinction. The university is experiencing more growth than any other University of California campuses, and as a result it launched a Long Range Development Plan in 2004 to meet the demands of an expected enrollment of 25,000 by 2010. Projects include more off-campus housing near the UCR campus in downtown Riverside. Considered a major research university and national center for the humanities, UCR offers bachelor's degrees in more than 75 disciplines, 36 doctoral programs, and 40 master's degree programs. The School of Education offers master's and doctoral programs in addition to teaching credentials in several other programs; UCR also offers a College of Engineering. La Sierra University, with more than 1,900 students, is a Seventh-Day Adventist institution that offers course work in undergraduate and graduate programs. California Baptist University is a Christian liberal arts institution with more than 2,000 students that offers degree programs in such areas as behavioral sciences, business administration, liberal arts, and Christian studies. California Southern Law School, which operates part-time evening classes, offers programs in the practice and theory of law. Riverside Community College (RCCD), a two-year school with its main campus downtown, offers a number of associate degree programs in a variety of fields. Local vocational schools feature programs in business services, contractor's licensing, medical services, and other areas of technology and trade. The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges has recently approved RCCD's request to evolve from a three-campus system to a multi-college system by 2007.
The Riverside Public Library has the third largest public library collection in the Southwest; only Los Angeles and Las Vegas public libraries have larger collections. The main library facility is located in historic downtown, and six other branches operate within the city. The Riverside Local History Research Center is a partnership between Riverside Municipal Museum and Riverside Public Library. Special collections at the Riverside Public Library include Spanish language, genealogy, local history, historical photographs, and U.S. documents. The Riverside County Library System, Moreno Valley Public Library, Murrieta Public Library, and College of the Desert are part of the Riverside County Network, an automated network that deploys approximately 350 computer/terminal workstations in library branches throughout the region.
Other local libraries include those associated with local churches, colleges, and businesses, the California School for the Deaf Library, the county historical commission library, county law library, and the University of California Riverside Library. UCR's Library has four separate libraries, including a media library, a science library, and the Tomás Rivera Library.
Public Library Information: Riverside Public Library, 3581 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501; telephone (951)826-5201