Revelle College focuses on developing "a well-rounded student who is intellectually skilled and prepared for competition in a complex world."

Revelle College's core writing course, Humanities (HUM), is a challenging Western Civilization course that incorporates writing, history and other social science requirements into a five-quarter (12⁄3 year) sequence through which students examine the greater social and literary developments throughout Western culture.

Ninety-nine faculty were planned to instruct 450 graduate students in earth sciences, biology, physics, chemistry, engineering, and mathematics.

Later in 1963, Chancellor Herbert York began to implement the 1959 master plan as visualized by Revelle, Arnold, and University of California President Clark Kerr.

By the start of the 1965-1966 school year, Revelle College had grown to loosely resemble the modern campus, surrounding a central plaza.

The southern section of Revelle College is occupied by two large parking lots and grassy hills, and the administration building sits in a grove in the southeast corner.

The May 1970 Peace Memorial in its southeast corner commemorates the anti-war self-immolation of Revelle student George Winne Jr.[17] The adjacent fountain was donated by Pacific Southwest Airlines in 1965.

In addition to four conference rooms, this complex houses Roger's Market and the Revelle dining commons, 64 Degrees.

[20] In 2015, a full-service restaurant called 64 North was opened to complement 64 Degrees and provide the southern part of campus with an upscale dining option.

Revelle College has two Stuart Collection pieces, La Jolla Project by Richard Fleischner and What Hath God Wrought?

[24] Other public works of art around Revelle College include El Mac's "Enduring Spell" mural in the Argo courtyard,[25] murals on the side of the Ché Café, a giant red chair by Galbraith Hall, the Stuart Collection works Red Shoe, La Jolla Vista View, and The Wind Garden in the nearby Theatre District, a surrealist mural by Howard Warshaw on the east interior wall of 64 Degrees, and a 56 ft × 22 ft surfer graphic on the east exterior wall of 64 Degrees.

[27] The curriculum crosses traditional academic disciplinary boundaries in order to encourage the development of "Renaissance men and women.

Blake Hall is a four-story building with 180 residents, as well as two patios and a large study lounge and kitchen on the uppermost floor.

[34] The three buildings—North Tower, West Bar, and South Tower—are divided into eight communities named after the Hawaiian islands of Hawai'i, Moloka'i, Kaho'olawe, Maui, Lana'i, O'ahu, Ni'ihau and Kaua'i.

The most well-known Revelle College tradition, the annual Watermelon Drop, takes place every June prior to finals week.

The tradition began in 1965, when a physics professor asked his students to calculate the terminal velocity of a watermelon dropped from the seventh floor of Urey Hall.

In the spring, Revelle College Council organizes the Revellution concert, which features local stars and rising independent artists.