UCLA vs. UC Riverside

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

 UCLA UC Riverside
Location Los Angeles, CA Riverside, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 46,430 26,809
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #58 #272
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucla.edu ucr.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCLA UC Riverside
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $17,231 $17,333
Avg Net Price $16,999 $14,487
Avg Grant Aid $21,766 $22,042
% Receiving Grant Aid 46% 75%

Admission

 UCLA UC Riverside
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 149,801 54,683
Admitted 12,845 37,563
Acceptance Rate 8.6% 68.7%
Enrolled % 50.3% 14.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.84
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Difficult
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 29/35 22/31
SAT Range 1300/1530 1080/1280
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

 UCLA UC Riverside
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 24:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)

Outcomes

 UCLA UC Riverside
Graduation Rate 90% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,700 $52,200
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,300 $19,109
Median Loan Payment $168 $197

Diversity

 UCLA UC Riverside
% Men 43% 49%
% Women 57% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 13%
% Black 3% 4%
% Hispanic 21% 36%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 13% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 UCLA UC Riverside
% In-State 77% 94%
% Out-of-State 15% 2%

Campus

 UCLA UC Riverside
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 UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (46,430 students vs. 26,809 students)

UCLA vs. UC Riverside Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCLA or UC Riverside?

  • University of California Los Angeles and UC Riverside 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 UCLA as University of California Riverside ($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 Riverside than UCLA ($14,487 vs. $16,999)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Los Angeles are 0.6% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($17,231 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Riverside than University of California Los Angeles (75% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 1.3% larger than aid received University of California Los Angeles ($22,042 vs. $21,766)

UCLA vs. UC Riverside Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Los Angeles (1339) is 220 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming UCLA students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UC Riverside (26)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at UC Riverside (3.84)
  • UC Riverside has a higher acceptance rate (68.7%) than UCLA (8.6%)

UCLA vs. UC Riverside Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCLA 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 UCLA.

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than University of California Riverside (90% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from University of California Los Angeles earn on average $18,500 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($70,700 vs. $52,200)
  • University of California Los Angeles students graduate with a $2,809 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Riverside graduates. ($16,300 vs. $19,109)
  • UCLA graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than UC Riverside graduates. ($168 vs. $197)
  • More UCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 65%)

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