U of A vs. UCSC

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

U of A UCSC
Location Tucson, AZ Santa Cruz, CA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 49,403 19,478
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #294 #222
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website arizona.edu ucsc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

U of A UCSC
Tuition (In State) $11,525 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $37,827 $41,636
Room & Board $13,650 $18,185
Avg Net Price $17,075 $17,975
Avg Grant Aid $15,279 $21,202
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 68%

Admission

U of A UCSC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 52,091 65,912
Admitted 45,194 30,926
Acceptance Rate 86.8% 46.9%
Enrolled % 20% 12.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.63
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/29 25/33
SAT Range 1140/1370 1160/1360
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 UCSC
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)

Outcomes

U of A UCSC
Graduation Rate 61% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $54,000 $50,400
Making Student Loan Payments 66% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,000 $19,959
Median Loan Payment $196 $206

Diversity

U of A UCSC
% Men 45% 50%
% Women 55% 50%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 52% 33%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 25% 31%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 7%
% International 6% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

U of A UCSC
% In-State 47% 90%
% Out-of-State 48% 7%

Campus

U of A UCSC
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 UCSC based on total student enrollment (49,403 students vs. 19,478 students)

U of A vs. UCSC Cost Comparison

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

  • University of California Santa Cruz 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 UCSC 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 Arizona than UCSC ($17,075 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Arizona are 33.2% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($13,650 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Arizona than University of California Santa Cruz (98% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 38.8% larger than aid received University of Arizona ($21,202 vs. $15,279)

U of A vs. UCSC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman UCSC students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at U of A (3.48)
  • U of A has a higher acceptance rate (86.8%) than UCSC (46.9%)

U of A vs. UCSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than University of Arizona (73% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from University of Arizona earn on average $3,600 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($54,000 vs. $50,400)
  • University of Arizona students graduate with a $959 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($19,000 vs. $19,959)
  • U of A graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($196 vs. $206)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former U of A students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 66%)

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