UCSD Holidays 2026–2027: Complete Holiday, Break & Closure Calendar

UCSD Holidays 2026–2027 schedule runs from Labor Day (Monday, September 7, 2026) through Labor Day of the following cycle (Monday, September 6, 2027), with 14 total paid holidays, a 4-day discrete Winter Break holiday block, and a 20-day student housing Winter Break spanning December 13, 2026 to January 1, 2027.

UC San Diego observes 14 paid holidays during the 2026–2027 academic year, running from Labor Day on Monday, September 7, 2026 through the close of Summer Session II on Friday, September 3, 2027.

This figure comes directly from UC San Diego’s Human Resources holiday policy, which lists New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Farmworkers Day (Cesar Chavez Day), Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving, a two-day Winter Break, and New Year’s Eve as the 14 designated dates.

A holiday that falls on Saturday is observed the preceding Friday. A holiday that falls on Sunday is observed the following Monday. This single rule explains most of the date shifts between academic years and applies uniformly across UCSD’s staff, faculty, and student calendars.

UCSD Holidays 2026–2027: Official Schedule at a Glance

The table below lists every UCSD-observed holiday for the 2026–2027 academic year in chronological order, sourced from the UC San Diego Academic and Administrative Calendar and the UCSD Holidays HR policy page.

Independence Day and Juneteenth both shift dates because of the Saturday/Sunday observance rule: July 4, 2027 falls on a Sunday, so UCSD observes it Monday, July 5, 2027. June 19, 2027 falls on a Saturday, so UCSD observes it Friday, June 18, 2027.

How UCSD Holidays Differ from Breaks and Closures

A holiday is a specific paid non-work day defined in UC San Diego’s HR policy, such as Veterans Day or Memorial Day. A break refers to the period between academic quarters when instruction is not in session, such as Winter Break or Spring Break — breaks are longer than the discrete holidays inside them, and campus offices often remain open on the non-holiday days within a break.

A closure, sometimes called curtailment, refers to a campus-wide administrative shutdown that spans multiple calendar days but is not itself a single named holiday; UCSD’s winter closure is the primary example, bridging the gap between the Winter Break holidays and the New Year holidays.

These three terms are not interchangeable: a student can be on “break” for 20 days while only 4 of those days are official paid “holidays” for staff.

Does Farmworkers Day Count Among UCSD Holidays Observed by Staff?

Yes. Farmworkers Day is one of the 14 official UCSD holidays and is a paid non-work day for eligible staff, regardless of whether students have instruction that day.

For students, the day falls during Spring Break 2027 (March 21–27), so it produces no separate day off from class — there is no class in session to cancel.

Download & Add to Calendar — PDF / Google Calendar / iCal

The full 2026–2027 UCSD holiday schedule can be added to a personal calendar app by importing the dates above into Google Calendar, Outlook, or Apple Calendar as individual events, or by downloading a printable version for offline reference.

Employees who need the authoritative, continuously updated version should reference the payroll calendar published through UCSD’s Blink HR portal, since holiday dates are subject to revision until finalized each fiscal year.

UCSD Winter Break 2026–2027 — How Long It Actually Is

UCSD Winter Break has three different lengths depending on which calendar applies: 4 discrete paid holiday days for staff, 9 continuous closure days for general campus operations, and 20 continuous days for students living in university housing.

Each definition answers a different question, and conflating them is the most common source of confusion in searches for “how long is UCSD winter break.”

Academic Holiday Days During Winter Break

UCSD designates exactly 4 individual paid holidays during the winter period: Thursday, December 24, 2026; Friday, December 25, 2026; Thursday, December 31, 2026; and Friday, January 1, 2027.

These are the only days in this window that appear on the university’s official 14-holiday HR list. The days between them — Saturday, December 26 through Wednesday, December 30, 2026 — are not individually named holidays, though most campus offices close for this period as part of the broader administrative closure.

Staff Curtailment — Thursday, December 24, 2026–Friday, January 1, 2027

UC San Diego’s winter closure, commonly referred to as curtailment, typically extends across the full 9-day span from Thursday, December 24, 2026 through Friday, January 1, 2027, closing non-essential administrative offices continuously rather than reopening between the discrete December 25 and December 31 holidays.

Essential services, including UC San Diego Health clinical units and campus safety, remain staffed throughout curtailment regardless of the office closure.

Student Housing Winter Break — Sunday, December 13, 2026–Friday, January 1, 2027

UCSD’s undergraduate Housing Calendar sets Winter Break at 20 continuous days, from Sunday, December 13, 2026 through Friday, January 1, 2027.

This period begins the day after Fall Quarter finals conclude (finals run December 5–12, 2026) and extends through New Year’s Day, five weeks before Winter Quarter instruction resumes on Monday, January 4, 2027.

Are Dorms & Dining Open During Winter Break?

Housing contracts for 9-month and 12-month residents continue without a service gap through winter break, so residence halls remain accessible to contracted residents.

Residential Dining locations and Markets close on all official University Holidays — the 4 discrete dates listed above — and operate on modified hours for the remainder of the break, per UC San Diego Housing • Dining • Hospitality’s 2026–27 Housing Calendar.

UCSD Thanksgiving Break 2026 — Is It a Full Week?

No. UCSD’s Thanksgiving break spans exactly 2 days, Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27, 2026, confirmed identically by both the official UCSD Academic and Administrative Calendar and the undergraduate Housing Calendar, which labels this period “Fall Break.” Instruction resumes the following Monday, November 30, 2026.

Exact Thanksgiving Holiday Dates

Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026, and the university observes the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 27, 2026, as a separate paid holiday. Together, these are the only two non-instructional days tied to the Thanksgiving period on UCSD’s academic calendar.

What’s Open on the Wednesday Before Thanksgiving?

Instruction remains in session on Wednesday, November 25, 2026, since UCSD’s Thanksgiving holiday covers only November 26 and 27. This differs from the university’s affiliated on-campus childcare and K-12 partner program, which closes November 25, 2026, for Parent-Teacher Conferences under its own 2026–27 Operating Schedule — a separate calendar from the general campus schedule that applies specifically to families enrolled in that program, not to undergraduate or graduate students.

UCSD Spring Break 2027 — Dates & the Quarter-Start Gap

UCSD’s Spring Break 2027 runs 7 days, from Sunday, March 21 through Saturday, March 27, 2027, immediately following the end of Winter Quarter final exams on Saturday, March 20, 2027.

This break contains an administrative quirk not found in most university calendars: Spring Quarter formally “begins” during the break itself.

Spring Break Dates (March 21–27, 2027)

Spring Break 2027 falls entirely between Winter Quarter’s end (Saturday, March 20, 2027) and Spring Quarter instruction’s start (Monday, March 29, 2027), per UCSD’s undergraduate Housing Calendar.

Why Spring Quarter “Starts” Before Classes Do

UC San Diego designates Wednesday, March 24, 2027, as the administrative start of Spring Quarter, three days before instruction actually begins on Monday, March 29, 2027.

Farmworkers Day (Friday, March 26, 2027) falls inside this gap — after the quarter has technically “started” but before any class meets.

This means Farmworkers Day does not function as a day off from instruction for students, since there is no class scheduled to cancel; it only carries practical effect as a paid staff holiday and as a closure day for administrative offices.

UCSD Summer 2027 & Between-Quarter Breaks

UCSD runs two overlapping summer sessions in 2027. Session I runs Monday, June 28 through Friday, July 30, 2027, with final exams July 30–31. Session II runs Monday, August 2 through Friday, September 3, 2027, with final exams September 3–4.

Two holidays fall inside these windows: Juneteenth, observed Friday, June 18, 2027, before Session I begins, and Independence Day, observed Monday, July 5, 2027, during Session I. Labor Day, Monday, September 6, 2027, follows immediately after Session II’s instructional period ends and functions as the closing holiday of the 2026–2027 academic year.

Which Federal & State Holidays Does UCSD Observe?

UC San Diego observes 11 named calendar holidays plus a 2-day Winter Break block and New Year’s Eve, for 14 total paid holidays, all set by University of California systemwide policy rather than by federal or California state government designation alone. The list below answers each holiday individually, in the order it appears on the 2026–2027 calendar.

New Year’s Day

UCSD observes New Year’s Day on Friday, January 1, 2027, as one of the 14 official paid holidays, immediately following the New Year’s Eve holiday on Thursday, December 31, 2026.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

UCSD observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 18, 2027. UC policy fixes this holiday to the third Monday in January every year, which is why the exact date changes annually.

Presidents’ Day

UCSD observes Presidents’ Day on Monday, February 15, 2027, determined as the third Monday in February under UC holiday policy.

Cesar Chavez Day (Officially “Farmworkers Day”) — Friday, March 26, 2027

UCSD’s official holiday designation for this date is “Farmworkers Day,” not “Cesar Chavez Day,” per the university’s own Human Resources holiday policy, though the two names refer to the same UC-observed date. UC policy sets this holiday on the last Friday in March, placing it on Friday, March 26, 2027 for the 2026–2027 cycle. Searchers looking for “UCSD Cesar Chavez Day” and “UCSD Farmworkers Day” are looking for the identical date.

Memorial Day

UCSD observes Memorial Day on Monday, May 31, 2027, the last Monday in May under UC holiday policy, marking the close of Spring Quarter instruction the following week.

Juneteenth

UCSD observes Juneteenth on Friday, June 18, 2027. The federal Juneteenth National Independence Day falls on Saturday, June 19, 2027, so UCSD applies its weekend-observance rule and moves the paid holiday to the preceding Friday.

Independence Day

UCSD observes Independence Day on Monday, July 5, 2027, since July 4, 2027 falls on a Sunday and UC’s observance rule moves Sunday holidays to the following Monday.

Labor Day

UCSD observes Labor Day on Monday, September 6, 2027, the first Monday in September, marking the end of Summer Session II and the close of the 2026–2027 academic and holiday cycle.

Veterans Day

UCSD observes Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, unlike Presidents’ Day and MLK Day, which move annually — Veterans Day is fixed to the calendar date of November 11 regardless of weekday, unless that date falls on a weekend.

Does UCSD Observe Columbus Day?

No. Columbus Day does not appear on UC San Diego’s 14-holiday list or anywhere in the official 2026–2027 Academic and Administrative Calendar. UCSD, along with the University of California system generally, does not designate Columbus Day as a paid holiday, and classes and offices operate on a normal schedule on that date.

Thanksgiving Day

UCSD observes Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, November 26, 2026, paired with the following day as a second paid holiday.

Christmas Day

Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, 2026, is observed as the second of UCSD’s two-day “Winter Break” holiday block, alongside Thursday, December 24, 2026.

UC San Diego Health Holiday Schedule 2026–2027

UC San Diego Health, the university’s academic health system, observes the same 14 UC-designated holiday dates as the general campus, since both operate under University of California personnel policy.

The distinction between the two is operational, not date-based: clinical units at UC San Diego Health maintain 24-hour, 7-day staffing regardless of holiday designation, so a “holiday” affects payroll and scheduling rather than facility closure.

How UCSD Health Holidays Differ From Campus Holidays

Campus administrative offices close entirely on UCSD’s 14 paid holidays. UC San Diego Health does not close on these dates because patient care is continuous; instead, eligible clinical staff receive holiday pay or accrue compensatory time for hours worked on a designated holiday, while non-clinical UC San Diego Health administrative staff typically follow the standard campus closure schedule.

UCSD Health 2026–2027 Holiday Dates

UCSD Staff, Faculty & Payroll Holiday Info

UCSD’s 14 paid holidays apply to eligible staff and faculty under University of California Staff Personnel Policy, with exact pay treatment depending on employee classification, appointment percentage, and bargaining unit.

Personal Holiday & Floating Holiday Credit

UC personnel policy provides eligible staff with personal holiday credit separate from the 14 fixed-date holidays; the exact number of hours accrued depends on an employee’s appointment type and percentage of time.

Employees should confirm their current personal holiday balance through UCPath rather than relying on a general estimate, since accrual rules differ by bargaining unit and employee category.

Holiday Pay for Non-Exempt Staff

Non-exempt staff who work on a designated UCSD holiday are generally eligible for holiday pay or compensatory time under UC personnel policy, in addition to their regular pay rate.

The specific pay differential and eligibility conditions vary by collective bargaining agreement, so affected employees should reference their applicable union contract or the Staff Personnel Policies published through UCSD’s HR portal.

Payroll Calendar & Pay Dates

UCSD publishes a separate payroll calendar showing exact pay dates for each pay period, distinct from the holiday schedule itself. Because pay dates are not fixed to the academic calendar in the same way holidays are, employees should reference the current UCPath payroll calendar directly rather than the holiday dates above.

How Holidays Fit Into the UCSD Academic Calendar

UCSD’s 14 holidays are distributed across four academic terms rather than concentrated in any single quarter, which is why “UCSD holidays” and “UCSD academic calendar” searches frequently overlap but are not identical topics.

Fall Quarter 2026 — Monday, September 21–Saturday, December 12, 2026

Fall Quarter 2026 contains 2 holidays: Veterans Day (November 11) and the 2-day Thanksgiving break (November 26–27). Instruction runs 49 days across a 60-day quarter.

Winter Quarter 2027 — Monday, January 4–Saturday, March 20, 2027

Winter Quarter 2027 contains 2 holidays: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 18) and Presidents’ Day (February 15). Instruction runs 48 days across a 56-day quarter.

Spring Quarter 2027 — Wednesday, March 24–Friday, June 11, 2027

Spring Quarter 2027 contains 2 holidays: Farmworkers Day (March 26, falling during Spring Break before instruction begins) and Memorial Day observance (May 31). Instruction runs 49 days across a 58-day quarter.

Summer Session 2027 — Monday, June 28–Friday, September 3, 2027

Summer 2027 contains 2 holidays: Juneteenth (June 18, before Session I begins) and Independence Day (July 5, during Session I). Labor Day (September 6, 2027) closes the summer term after Session II ends.

UCSD Holidays: How Dates Shift Year-Over-Year (2025–2026 vs. 2026–2027)

Most UCSD holidays are pinned to a weekday rule — such as “third Monday in January” for MLK Day — rather than a fixed calendar date, which is why the same holiday falls on a different date each academic year.

The table below applies UC San Diego’s published holiday-determination rules to construct the 2025–2026 equivalent dates for direct comparison against the confirmed, officially published 2026–2027 schedule.

Veterans Day is the only fixed-date holiday in this list, so it moves by a single weekday each year rather than jumping unpredictably. Memorial Day shows the largest year-over-year shift, moving from May 25 to May 31, because “last Monday in May” can fall anywhere between May 25 and May 31 depending on the calendar year.

UCSD Holidays 2026-2027 Frequently Asked Questions