UCLA vs. ASU vs. Michigan vs. George Washington

Should I go to University of California Los Angeles or Arizona State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCLA or ASU 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 Los Angeles vs. Arizona State University vs. University of Michigan vs. George Washington University comparison
University of California Los Angeles Arizona State University University of Michigan George Washington University
University of California Los Angeles Arizona State University University of Michigan George Washington University
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Overview

 UCLA ASU Michigan George Washington
Location Los Angeles, CA Tempe, AZ Ann Arbor, MI Washington, DC
Setting Large City Midsize City Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 46,678 79,593 52,065 25,568
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #62 #384 #47 #76
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucla.edu asu.edu umich.edu gwu.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 UCLA ASU Michigan George Washington
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $11,308 $16,896 $64,700
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $31,450 $57,740 $64,700
Room & Board $17,148 $16,091 $13,856 $16,300
Avg Net Price $15,166 $16,401 $19,005 $45,466
Avg Grant Aid $22,441 $11,992 $22,005 $35,367
% Receiving Grant Aid 49% 89% 55% 77%

Admission

 UCLA ASU Michigan George Washington
Applied 145,903 68,840 87,632 27,094
Admitted 12,736 62,084 15,722 11,798
Acceptance Rate 8.7% 90.2% 17.9% 13.5%
Enrolled % 51.7% 22.7% 47.5% 16.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.54 3.88 3.81
Typical High School Grades A- B+ A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Challenging Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High Low
ACT Range 29/35 21/28 31/34 31/34
SAT Range 1300/1530 1100/1320 1350/1530 1350/1500
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Feb 1, 2026 Jan 5, 2026

Academics

 UCLA ASU Michigan George Washington
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 18:1 11:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Health Professions (5%)
  • Psychology (2%)
  • Communication (2%)

Outcomes

 UCLA ASU Michigan George Washington
Graduation Rate 90% 57% 90% 81%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,700 $52,600 $74,400 $80,500
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 57% 78% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,300 $20,278 $20,103 $24,962
Median Loan Payment $168 $209 $207 $258

Diversity

 UCLA ASU Michigan George Washington
% Men 15% 10% 18% 22%
% Women 14% 8% 18% 34%
Racial Diversity Very High High Medium High
HBCU No No No No
% White 27% 52% 62% 56%
% Black 3% 4% 4% 6%
% Hispanic 21% 19% 5% 8%
% Native American 0% 1% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4% 3% 4%
% International 13% 12% 7% 10%
% Unknown Race 2% 1% 6% 5%

Students

 UCLA ASU Michigan George Washington
% In-State 79% 61% 51% 1%
% Out-of-State 13% 32% 44% 88%

Campus

 UCLA ASU Michigan George Washington
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes Yes No
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Arizona State University is larger than than UCLA based on total student enrollment (79,593 students vs. 46,678 students)

UCLA vs. ASU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCLA or ASU?

  • University of California Los Angeles is 4.7% more expensive to attend than ASU for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $11,308.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 35.5% higher at UCLA than Arizona State University ($42,611.00 vs. $31,450.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Los Angeles than ASU ($15,166 vs. $16,401)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Arizona State University are 6.6% lower than costs at University of California Los Angeles ($16,091 vs. $17,148)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Arizona State University than University of California Los Angeles (89% vs. 49%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Los Angeles students is 87.1% larger than aid received Arizona State University ($22,441 vs. $11,992)

UCLA vs. ASU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Los Angeles (1339) is 181 points higher than at ASU (1158)
  • Incoming UCLA students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at ASU (26)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.38 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at ASU (3.54)
  • ASU has a higher acceptance rate (90.2%) than UCLA (8.7%)

UCLA vs. ASU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than Arizona State University (90% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from University of California Los Angeles earn on average $18,100 more per year than ASU graduates after ten years. ($70,700 vs. $52,600)
  • University of California Los Angeles students graduate with a $3,978 lower median federal student loan debt than ASU graduates. ($16,300 vs. $20,278)
  • UCLA graduates are paying $41 less per month on federal student loans than ASU graduates. ($168 vs. $209)
  • More UCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ASU students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 57%)

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