U of A vs. UCI

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

 U of A UCI
Location Tucson, AZ Irvine, CA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 49,403 35,937
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #294 #91
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website arizona.edu uci.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 U of A UCI
Tuition (In State) $11,525 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $37,827 $41,636
Room & Board $13,650 $17,699
Avg Net Price $17,075 $14,033
Avg Grant Aid $15,279 $17,411
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 80%

Admission

 U of A UCI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 52,091 119,191
Admitted 45,194 25,212
Acceptance Rate 86.8% 21.2%
Enrolled % 20% 22.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.75
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 21/29 26/33
SAT Range 1140/1370 1230/1430
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023

Academics

 U of A UCI
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)

Outcomes

 U of A UCI
Graduation Rate 61% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $54,000 $61,800
Making Student Loan Payments 66% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,000 $17,000
Median Loan Payment $196 $175

Diversity

 U of A UCI
% Men 45% 45%
% Women 55% 55%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 52% 15%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 25% 25%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 6% 16%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 U of A UCI
% In-State 47% 81%
% Out-of-State 48% 7%

Campus

 U of A UCI
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Arizona is larger than than UCI based on total student enrollment (49,403 students vs. 35,937 students)

U of A vs. UCI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, U of A or UCI?

  • University of California Irvine is 0.3% more expensive to attend than U of A for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,525.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 10.1% higher at UCI than University of Arizona ($41,636.00 vs. $37,827.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Irvine than U of A ($14,033 vs. $17,075)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Arizona are 29.7% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($13,650 vs. $17,699)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Arizona than University of California Irvine (98% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Irvine students is 14% larger than aid received University of Arizona ($17,411 vs. $15,279)

U of A vs. UCI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman UCI students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at U of A (3.48)
  • U of A has a higher acceptance rate (86.8%) than UCI (21.2%)

U of A vs. UCI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, U of A or UCI? 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 UCI and U of A.

  • The graduation rate at UCI is higher than University of Arizona (85% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from University of California Irvine earn on average $7,800 more per year than U of A graduates after ten years. ($61,800 vs. $54,000)
  • University of California Irvine students graduate with a $2,000 lower median federal student loan debt than U of A graduates. ($17,000 vs. $19,000)
  • UCI graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than U of A graduates. ($175 vs. $196)
  • More UCI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former U of A students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 66%)

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