UCLA vs. UCSC

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

 UCLA UCSC
Location Los Angeles, CA Santa Cruz, CA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 46,430 19,478
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #58 #222
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucla.edu ucsc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCLA UCSC
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $17,231 $18,185
Avg Net Price $16,999 $17,975
Avg Grant Aid $21,766 $21,202
% Receiving Grant Aid 46% 68%

Admission

 UCLA UCSC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 149,801 65,912
Admitted 12,845 30,926
Acceptance Rate 8.6% 46.9%
Enrolled % 50.3% 12.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.63
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 29/35 25/33
SAT Range 1300/1530 1160/1360
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 UCSC
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)

Outcomes

 UCLA UCSC
Graduation Rate 90% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,700 $50,400
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,300 $19,959
Median Loan Payment $168 $206

Diversity

 UCLA UCSC
% Men 43% 50%
% Women 57% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 33%
% Black 3% 2%
% Hispanic 21% 31%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 7%
% International 13% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 UCLA UCSC
% In-State 77% 90%
% Out-of-State 15% 7%

Campus

 UCLA UCSC
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 UCSC based on total student enrollment (46,430 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCLA vs. UCSC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCLA or UCSC?

  • University of California Los Angeles and UCSC 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 Santa Cruz ($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 Los Angeles than UCSC ($16,999 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Los Angeles are 5.5% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($17,231 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than University of California Los Angeles (68% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Los Angeles students is 2.7% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($21,766 vs. $21,202)

UCLA vs. UCSC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Los Angeles (1339) is 138 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming UCLA students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UCSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (46.9%) than UCLA (8.6%)

UCLA vs. UCSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCLA 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 UCLA.

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (90% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from University of California Los Angeles earn on average $20,300 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($70,700 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Los Angeles students graduate with a $3,659 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($16,300 vs. $19,959)
  • UCLA graduates are paying $38 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($168 vs. $206)
  • More UCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 74%)

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