The Koala is a satirical comedy college paper. In its current form, it exists as two unaffiliated publications, with one primarily distributed quarterly on the campus of University of California San Diego, and monthly on the campus of San Diego State University. The publication at UCSD was one of a handful of campus newspapers partly or entirely funded by the Associated Students of UCSD, until a decision by AS UCSD to defund all 13 student media outlets. The paper still exists as a registered student organization. SDSU's branch of The Koala at one point operated within SDSU Associated Students as a Recognized Student Organization (RSO) until that status was revoked in 2007. The original branch of The Koala was founded at UCSD in 1982, but the details of its origins are uncertain. The composition of the paper consists of artwork, articles, personals, and lists similar to David Letterman's Top Ten List. The Koala's standing protocol when giving interviews to commercial media of any sort is that no statement can be given until they are furnished with beer from the interviewing entity. Exceptions are made for student media as a matter of courtesy.Therefore, it does give an insight into the live of a Koala, but does butify the situation as well.

Nearly all of UCSD Koala's writing involves making fun of a race, ethnicity, religion, group, people with disabilities, sex, or sexual orientation, as well as recent national tragedies. No subject is taboo and boundaries are nonexistent. The paper also encourages a hedonistic lifestyle including alcohol, drugs, and debauchery.

The Koala at UCSD inspired spin-offs papers distributed at San Diego State University, which was founded in 2004, and California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), which was founded in 2011. San Marcos' Koala has ceased publishing due to legal action involving its staff. The San Diego State University Koala continues to publish an issue monthly.