Emory vs. UCLA

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

 Emory UCLA
Location Atlanta, GA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 15,046 46,678
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #24 #62
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website emory.edu ucla.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Emory UCLA
Tuition (In State) $59,920 $11,834
Tuition (Out of State) $59,920 $42,611
Room & Board $18,972 $17,148
Avg Net Price $27,986 $15,166
Avg Grant Aid $50,828 $22,441
% Receiving Grant Aid 46% 49%

Admission

 Emory UCLA
Applied 31,929 145,903
Admitted 3,543 12,736
Acceptance Rate 11.1% 8.7%
Enrolled % 40.2% 51.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.8 3.92
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 32/34 29/35
SAT Range 1460/1550 1300/1530
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2026 Nov 30, 2025

Academics

 Emory UCLA
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (17%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)

Outcomes

 Emory UCLA
Graduation Rate 90% 90%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $81,500 $70,700
Making Student Loan Payments 80% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,233 $16,300
Median Loan Payment $178 $168

Diversity

 Emory UCLA
% Men 18% 15%
% Women 33% 14%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 41% 27%
% Black 9% 3%
% Hispanic 8% 21%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 17% 13%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 Emory UCLA
% In-State 12% 79%
% Out-of-State 67% 13%

Campus

 Emory UCLA
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Los Angeles is larger than than Emory based on total student enrollment (46,678 students vs. 15,046 students)

Emory vs. UCLA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Emory or UCLA?

  • Emory University is 406.3% more expensive to attend than UCLA for in-state tuition ($59,920.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 40.6% higher at Emory than University of California Los Angeles ($59,920.00 vs. $42,611.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Los Angeles than Emory ($15,166 vs. $27,986)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Los Angeles are 10.6% lower than costs at Emory University ($17,148 vs. $18,972)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Los Angeles than Emory University (49% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Emory University students is 126.5% larger than aid received University of California Los Angeles ($50,828 vs. $22,441)

Emory vs. UCLA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Emory University (1380) is 41 points higher than at UCLA (1339)
  • Incoming Emory students have at the same average ACT score (31) as students at UCLA (31)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at Emory (3.8)
  • Emory has a higher acceptance rate (11.1%) than UCLA (8.7%)

Emory vs. UCLA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Emory or UCLA? 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 UCLA and Emory.

  • The graduation rate at Emory is the same as at University of California Los Angeles (90% vs. 90%)
  • Graduates from Emory University earn on average $10,800 more per year than UCLA graduates after ten years. ($81,500 vs. $70,700)
  • University of California Los Angeles students graduate with a $933 lower median federal student loan debt than Emory graduates. ($16,300 vs. $17,233)
  • UCLA graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than Emory graduates. ($168 vs. $178)
  • More Emory graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCLA students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 78%)

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