UC Davis vs. UCSC

Should I go to University of California Davis or University of California Santa Cruz? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Davis 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 Davis vs. University of California Santa Cruz comparison
University of California Davis University of California Santa Cruz College 3 College 4
University of California Davis University of California Santa Cruz
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Overview

UC Davis UCSC
Location Davis, CA Santa Cruz, CA
Setting Small Suburban Small City
Enrollment 39,679 19,478
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #92 #222
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucdavis.edu ucsc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Davis UCSC
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $17,692 $18,185
Avg Net Price $17,385 $17,975
Avg Grant Aid $20,548 $21,202
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 68%

Admission

UC Davis UCSC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 94,747 65,912
Admitted 35,377 30,926
Acceptance Rate 37.3% 46.9%
Enrolled % 18.1% 12.5%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.63
Typical High School Grades A/A+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 25/33 25/33
SAT Range 1160/1400 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 Davis UCSC
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Biology (19%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (5%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)

Outcomes

UC Davis UCSC
Graduation Rate 82% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,200 $50,400
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,676 $19,959
Median Loan Payment $151 $206

Diversity

UC Davis UCSC
% Men 41% 50%
% Women 59% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 28% 33%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 19% 31%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 7%
% International 11% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

UC Davis UCSC
% In-State 75% 90%
% Out-of-State 7% 7%

Campus

UC Davis 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 Davis is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (39,679 students vs. 19,478 students)

UC Davis vs. UCSC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Davis or UCSC?

  • University of California Davis 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 Davis 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 Davis than UCSC ($17,385 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Davis are 2.8% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($17,692 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than University of California Davis (68% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 3.2% larger than aid received University of California Davis ($21,202 vs. $20,548)

UC Davis vs. UCSC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Davis (1226) is 25 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming UC Davis students have at the same average ACT score (28) as students at UCSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman UC Davis students have a 0.37 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (46.9%) than UC Davis (37.3%)

UC Davis vs. UCSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Davis 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 Davis.

  • The graduation rate at UC Davis is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (82% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from University of California Davis earn on average $14,800 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($65,200 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Davis students graduate with a $5,283 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($14,676 vs. $19,959)
  • UC Davis graduates are paying $55 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($151 vs. $206)
  • More UC Davis graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 74%)

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