UC Riverside vs. San Jose State

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

UC Riverside San Jose State
Location Riverside, CA San Jose, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 26,809 35,751
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #558
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu sjsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Riverside San Jose State
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $17,622
Room & Board $17,333 $18,568
Avg Net Price $14,487 $14,219
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $9,210
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 59%

Admission

UC Riverside San Jose State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 34,002
Admitted 37,563 26,083
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 76.7%
Enrolled % 14.8% 15.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.35
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/31 19/26
SAT Range 1080/1280 1010/1240
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 Dec 15, 2023

Academics

UC Riverside San Jose State
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (30%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Engineering (7%)

Outcomes

UC Riverside San Jose State
Graduation Rate 67% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $59,900
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $15,000
Median Loan Payment $197 $155

Diversity

UC Riverside San Jose State
% Men 49% 48%
% Women 51% 52%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 13% 19%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 36% 26%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5%
% International 4% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

UC Riverside San Jose State
% In-State 94% 96%
% Out-of-State 2% 1%

Campus

UC Riverside San Jose State
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

  • San Jose State University is larger than than UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (35,751 students vs. 26,809 students)

UC Riverside vs. San Jose State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or San Jose State?

  • University of California Riverside is 101.4% more expensive to attend than San Jose State for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 136.3% higher at UC Riverside than San Jose State University ($41,636.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Jose State University than UC Riverside ($14,219 vs. $14,487)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Riverside are 7.1% lower than costs at San Jose State University ($17,333 vs. $18,568)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Riverside than San Jose State University (75% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 139.3% larger than aid received San Jose State University ($22,042 vs. $9,210)

UC Riverside vs. San Jose State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Riverside (1119) is 64 points higher than at San Jose State (1055)
  • Incoming UC Riverside students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at San Jose State (23)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.49 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at San Jose State (3.35)
  • San Jose State has a higher acceptance rate (76.7%) than UC Riverside (68.7%)

UC Riverside vs. San Jose State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside or San Jose State? 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 San Jose State and UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at UC Riverside is higher than San Jose State University (67% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from San Jose State University earn on average $7,700 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($59,900 vs. $52,200)
  • San Jose State University students graduate with a $4,109 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Riverside graduates. ($15,000 vs. $19,109)
  • San Jose State graduates are paying $42 less per month on federal student loans than UC Riverside graduates. ($155 vs. $197)
  • More San Jose State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 65%)

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