UC Riverside vs. California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Comparable Facts

Compare University of California Riverside in Riverside, CA with California State Polytechnic University Humboldt in Arcata, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

University of California Riverside is larger than California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt based on total student enrollment (26,384 students vs. 6,237 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• University of California Riverside is located in Riverside, CA (Large City setting); California State Polytechnic University Humboldt is in Arcata, CA (Remote Town setting).
• University of California Riverside is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. California State Polytechnic University Humboldt is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: University of California Riverside 22:1; California State Polytechnic University Humboldt 16:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State Polytechnic University Humboldt are 31.8% lower than at University of California Riverside ($14,118 vs. $20,691).
• Out-of-state tuition is 138.9% higher at UC Riverside than at California State Polytechnic University Humboldt (about $28,956 more per year; $49,806 vs. $20,850).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of California Riverside than at California State Polytechnic University Humboldt (76% vs. 66%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 126.6% larger than aid received by California State Polytechnic University Humboldt students ($24,355 vs. $10,748).

Admissions details

• Typical ACT composite is 5 points higher at UC Riverside than at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt (26 vs. 21, midpoint estimate).
• SAT or ACT scores are test-free at both UC Riverside and California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt.
• Typical fall application deadline: UC Riverside Nov 30, 2026; California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Apr 30, 2027.
• Enrolled first-year students at UC Riverside average a 3.84 high school GPA, 0.51 higher than at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt (3.33).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 12.2% at UC Riverside vs. 5.9% at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, University of California Riverside graduates have a $391 lower median loan debt than California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt graduates ($19,109 vs. $19,500).
• Among borrowers, UC Riverside graduates have an estimated $4 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt graduates ($197 vs. $201).
• More UC Riverside graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt students, three years after graduation (65% vs. 56%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.