UCI vs. SCU

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

 UCI SCU
Location Irvine, CA Santa Clara, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Midsize City
Enrollment 35,937 9,178
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #91 #62
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu scu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCI SCU
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $56,880
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $56,880
Room & Board $17,699 $17,112
Avg Net Price $14,033 $50,551
Avg Grant Aid $17,411 $25,295
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 72%

Admission

 UCI SCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 119,191 16,650
Admitted 25,212 8,677
Acceptance Rate 21.2% 52.1%
Enrolled % 22.5% 18.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.67
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 26/33 29/33
SAT Range 1230/1430 1290/1480
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Jan 7, 2024

Academics

 UCI SCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Business (33%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

 UCI SCU
Graduation Rate 85% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 $81,900
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $175 $222

Diversity

 UCI SCU
% Men 45% 50%
% Women 55% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 49%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 25% 17%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 7%
% International 16% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

 UCI SCU
% In-State 81% 50%
% Out-of-State 7% 40%

Campus

 UCI SCU
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 Irvine is larger than than SCU based on total student enrollment (35,937 students vs. 9,178 students)

UCI vs. SCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or SCU?

  • Santa Clara University is 391.9% more expensive to attend than UCI for in-state tuition ($56,880.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.6% higher at SCU than University of California Irvine ($56,880.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Irvine than SCU ($14,033 vs. $50,551)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Clara University are 3.4% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($17,112 vs. $17,699)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Irvine than Santa Clara University (80% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Clara University students is 45.3% larger than aid received University of California Irvine ($25,295 vs. $17,411)

UCI vs. SCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Santa Clara University (1313) is 138 points higher than at UCI (1175)
  • Incoming SCU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at UCI (27)
  • Accepted freshman UCI students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at SCU (3.67)
  • SCU has a higher acceptance rate (52.1%) than UCI (21.2%)

UCI vs. SCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCI or SCU? 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 SCU and UCI.

  • The graduation rate at UCI is the same as at Santa Clara University (85% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Santa Clara University earn on average $20,100 more per year than UCI graduates after ten years. ($81,900 vs. $61,800)
  • University of California Irvine students graduate with a $4,500 lower median federal student loan debt than SCU graduates. ($17,000 vs. $21,500)
  • UCI graduates are paying $47 less per month on federal student loans than SCU graduates. ($175 vs. $222)
  • More SCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCI students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 76%)

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