UCLA vs. SCU

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

 UCLA SCU
Location Los Angeles, CA Santa Clara, CA
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 46,430 9,178
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #58 #62
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucla.edu scu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCLA SCU
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $56,880
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $56,880
Room & Board $17,231 $17,112
Avg Net Price $16,999 $50,551
Avg Grant Aid $21,766 $25,295
% Receiving Grant Aid 46% 72%

Admission

 UCLA SCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 149,801 16,650
Admitted 12,845 8,677
Acceptance Rate 8.6% 52.1%
Enrolled % 50.3% 18.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.67
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 29/35 29/33
SAT Range 1300/1530 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

 UCLA SCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Business (33%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

 UCLA SCU
Graduation Rate 90% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,700 $81,900
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,300 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $168 $222

Diversity

 UCLA SCU
% Men 43% 50%
% Women 57% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 49%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 21% 17%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 7%
% International 13% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 4%

Students

 UCLA SCU
% In-State 77% 50%
% Out-of-State 15% 40%

Campus

 UCLA 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 Los Angeles is larger than than SCU based on total student enrollment (46,430 students vs. 9,178 students)

UCLA vs. SCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCLA or SCU?

  • Santa Clara University is 391.9% more expensive to attend than UCLA 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 Los Angeles ($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 Los Angeles than SCU ($16,999 vs. $50,551)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Clara University are 0.7% lower than costs at University of California Los Angeles ($17,112 vs. $17,231)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Santa Clara University than University of California Los Angeles (72% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Clara University students is 16.2% larger than aid received University of California Los Angeles ($25,295 vs. $21,766)

UCLA vs. SCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Los Angeles (1339) is 26 points higher than at SCU (1313)
  • Incoming UCLA students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at SCU (30)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.25 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at SCU (3.67)
  • SCU has a higher acceptance rate (52.1%) than UCLA (8.6%)

UCLA vs. SCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCLA 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 UCLA.

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than Santa Clara University (90% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Santa Clara University earn on average $11,200 more per year than UCLA graduates after ten years. ($81,900 vs. $70,700)
  • University of California Los Angeles students graduate with a $5,200 lower median federal student loan debt than SCU graduates. ($16,300 vs. $21,500)
  • UCLA graduates are paying $54 less per month on federal student loans than SCU graduates. ($168 vs. $222)
  • More SCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCLA students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 78%)

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