U of A vs. UC Riverside

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

U of A UC Riverside
Location Tucson, AZ Riverside, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 49,403 26,809
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #294 #272
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website arizona.edu ucr.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

U of A UC Riverside
Tuition (In State) $11,525 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $37,827 $41,636
Room & Board $13,650 $17,333
Avg Net Price $17,075 $14,487
Avg Grant Aid $15,279 $22,042
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 75%

Admission

U of A UC Riverside
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 52,091 54,683
Admitted 45,194 37,563
Acceptance Rate 86.8% 68.7%
Enrolled % 20% 14.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.84
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/29 22/31
SAT Range 1140/1370 1080/1280
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 UC Riverside
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 24:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)

Outcomes

U of A UC Riverside
Graduation Rate 61% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $54,000 $52,200
Making Student Loan Payments 66% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,000 $19,109
Median Loan Payment $196 $197

Diversity

U of A UC Riverside
% Men 45% 49%
% Women 55% 51%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 52% 13%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 25% 36%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 6% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

U of A UC Riverside
% In-State 47% 94%
% Out-of-State 48% 2%

Campus

U of A UC Riverside
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 UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (49,403 students vs. 26,809 students)

U of A vs. UC Riverside Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, U of A or UC Riverside?

  • University of California Riverside 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 UC Riverside 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 Riverside than U of A ($14,487 vs. $17,075)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Arizona are 27% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($13,650 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Arizona than University of California Riverside (98% vs. 75%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 44.3% larger than aid received University of Arizona ($22,042 vs. $15,279)

U of A vs. UC Riverside Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.36 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at U of A (3.48)
  • U of A has a higher acceptance rate (86.8%) than UC Riverside (68.7%)

U of A vs. UC Riverside Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, U of A or UC Riverside? 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 UC Riverside and U of A.

  • The graduation rate at UC Riverside is higher than University of Arizona (67% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from University of Arizona earn on average $1,800 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($54,000 vs. $52,200)
  • University of Arizona students graduate with a $109 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Riverside graduates. ($19,000 vs. $19,109)
  • U of A graduates are paying $1 less per month on federal student loans than UC Riverside graduates. ($196 vs. $197)
  • More U of A graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 65%)

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