UC Berkeley vs. UCSC

Should I go to University of California Berkeley or University of California Santa Cruz? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Berkeley or UCSC is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of California Berkeley vs. University of California Santa Cruz comparison
University of California Berkeley University of California Santa Cruz College 3 College 4
University of California Berkeley University of California Santa Cruz
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Overview

 UC Berkeley UCSC
Location Berkeley, CA Santa Cruz, CA
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 45,307 19,478
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #63 #222
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website berkeley.edu ucsc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Berkeley UCSC
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $21,402 $18,185
Avg Net Price $19,257 $17,975
Avg Grant Aid $21,669 $21,202
% Receiving Grant Aid 52% 68%

Admission

 UC Berkeley UCSC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 128,209 65,912
Admitted 14,523 30,926
Acceptance Rate 11.3% 46.9%
Enrolled % 46.3% 12.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.63
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 30/35 25/33
SAT Range 1310/1530 1160/1360
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

 UC Berkeley UCSC
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)

Outcomes

 UC Berkeley UCSC
Graduation Rate 90% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,700 $50,400
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,200 $19,959
Median Loan Payment $146 $206

Diversity

 UC Berkeley UCSC
% Men 46% 50%
% Women 54% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 33%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 14% 31%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 7%
% International 14% 4%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 UC Berkeley UCSC
% In-State 78% 90%
% Out-of-State 11% 7%

Campus

 UC Berkeley UCSC
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Berkeley is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (45,307 students vs. 19,478 students)

UC Berkeley vs. UCSC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Berkeley or UCSC?

  • University of California Berkeley and UCSC cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at UC Berkeley as University of California Santa Cruz ($41,636.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than UC Berkeley ($17,975 vs. $19,257)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Cruz are 17.7% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($18,185 vs. $21,402)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than University of California Berkeley (68% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Berkeley students is 2.2% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($21,669 vs. $21,202)

UC Berkeley vs. UCSC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UC Berkeley or UCSC? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UCSC or UC Berkeley .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Berkeley (1397) is 196 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming UC Berkeley students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at UCSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman UC Berkeley students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.87) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (46.9%) than UC Berkeley (11.3%)

UC Berkeley vs. UCSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Berkeley or UCSC? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UCSC and UC Berkeley.

  • The graduation rate at UC Berkeley is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (90% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from University of California Berkeley earn on average $24,300 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($74,700 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Berkeley students graduate with a $5,759 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($14,200 vs. $19,959)
  • UC Berkeley graduates are paying $60 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($146 vs. $206)
  • More UC Berkeley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 74%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/