UCLA Parents & Families Guide

Westwood, on the west side of Los Angeles

UCLA's campus sits in Westwood, just south of Sunset Boulevard, with Westwood Village filling the blocks between campus and Wilshire Boulevard. That small grid of shops, restaurants and hotels is where many visiting parents end up eating, walking and sleeping.

If you fly, UCLA Transportation's arrival directions start at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The UCLA Luskin Conference Center places campus about 12 miles north of LAX on the 405. Culver CityBus Line 6 and Rapid 6 connect the LAX City Bus Center to Westwood Village, and rideshare pickups at LAX happen at a separate lot reached by free shuttle. The 405 sets your timeline more than the mileage does, so leave room on any day you have a flight.

Quarters, not semesters

UCLA runs on three quarters: fall, winter and spring. Each has about ten weeks of classes, a weekend of common finals and a full finals week. In 2026 to 27, fall instruction began Sept 24 and ends Dec 4, with finals through Dec 11. Thanksgiving is just the Thursday and Friday, Nov 26 to 27, with classes and finals still ahead, so the real trip home starts in mid December. Spring finals end June 11, 2027, so the school year runs well into June.

Life on the Hill

According to Undergraduate Admission, UCLA guarantees four years of university housing to incoming first years and two to transfers, and nearly all first years live on campus. The residential neighborhood is called the Hill, home to more than 14,000 undergraduates in places such as De Neve Plaza, Hedrick Hall, Rieber Hall, Sproul Hall, Sunset Village, Covel Commons and Carnesale Commons. Dining halls include Bruin Plate, Epicuria at Covel and Feast at Rieber. Some students later move to University Apartments, which run on a contract about two weeks longer.

The family office

The UCLA Parent & Family Association, based at the James West Alumni Center on Westwood Plaza, calls itself the first stop for UCLA questions from families. You can reach it at mybruinis@ucla.edu or (310) 794-6737. It sends the quarterly Bruin Family Connect newsletter, points families to regional Bruin Family Socials hosted by current UCLA families and lists Bruin Family Weekend among its programs. In 2026, Bruin Family Weekend is Friday and Saturday, Oct 30 to 31, and registration closes Oct 13.

What you'll find in this hub

The Dates page lays out the full 2026 to 27 quarter calendar and commencement. Travel covers LAX, visitor parking structures and hotels in Westwood and nearby. Move in and move out explains the Hill's unloading zones, room rules and June checkout. Local life lists the Ashe Center, pharmacies, UCPD and the Hill's mail address, and the FAQ gathers who to call for what.