UCI vs. UCLA

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

 UCI UCLA
Location Irvine, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 35,937 46,430
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #91 #58
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu ucla.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCI UCLA
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $17,699 $17,231
Avg Net Price $14,033 $16,999
Avg Grant Aid $17,411 $21,766
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 46%

Admission

 UCI UCLA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 119,191 149,801
Admitted 25,212 12,845
Acceptance Rate 21.2% 8.6%
Enrolled % 22.5% 50.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.92
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 26/33 29/35
SAT Range 1230/1430 1300/1530
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

 UCI UCLA
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)

Outcomes

 UCI UCLA
Graduation Rate 85% 90%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 $70,700
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $16,300
Median Loan Payment $175 $168

Diversity

 UCI UCLA
% Men 45% 43%
% Women 55% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 27%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 25% 21%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5%
% International 16% 13%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 UCI UCLA
% In-State 81% 77%
% Out-of-State 7% 15%

Campus

 UCI UCLA
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 UCI based on total student enrollment (46,430 students vs. 35,937 students)

UCI vs. UCLA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or UCLA?

  • University of California Irvine and UCLA cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at UCI as University of California Los Angeles ($41,636.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Irvine than UCLA ($14,033 vs. $16,999)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Los Angeles are 2.7% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($17,231 vs. $17,699)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Irvine than University of California Los Angeles (80% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Los Angeles students is 25% larger than aid received University of California Irvine ($21,766 vs. $17,411)

UCI vs. UCLA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Los Angeles (1339) is 164 points higher than at UCI (1175)
  • Incoming UCLA students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UCI (27)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at UCI (3.75)
  • UCI has a higher acceptance rate (21.2%) than UCLA (8.6%)

UCI vs. UCLA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCI 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 UCI.

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than University of California Irvine (90% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from University of California Los Angeles earn on average $8,900 more per year than UCI graduates after ten years. ($70,700 vs. $61,800)
  • University of California Los Angeles students graduate with a $700 lower median federal student loan debt than UCI graduates. ($16,300 vs. $17,000)
  • UCLA graduates are paying $7 less per month on federal student loans than UCI graduates. ($168 vs. $175)
  • More UCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCI students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 76%)

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