UC Riverside vs. UCSC

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

UC Riverside UCSC
Location Riverside, CA Santa Cruz, CA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 26,809 19,478
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #222
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu ucsc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Riverside UCSC
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $41,636
Room & Board $17,333 $18,185
Avg Net Price $14,487 $17,975
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $21,202
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 68%

Admission

UC Riverside UCSC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 65,912
Admitted 37,563 30,926
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 46.9%
Enrolled % 14.8% 12.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.63
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 22/31 25/33
SAT Range 1080/1280 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

UC Riverside UCSC
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)

Outcomes

UC Riverside UCSC
Graduation Rate 67% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $50,400
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $19,959
Median Loan Payment $197 $206

Diversity

UC Riverside UCSC
% Men 49% 50%
% Women 51% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 13% 33%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 36% 31%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 7%
% International 4% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

UC Riverside UCSC
% In-State 94% 90%
% Out-of-State 2% 7%

Campus

UC Riverside 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 Riverside is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (26,809 students vs. 19,478 students)

UC Riverside vs. UCSC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or UCSC?

  • University of California Riverside 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 UC Riverside 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 Riverside than UCSC ($14,487 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Riverside are 4.9% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($17,333 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Riverside than University of California Santa Cruz (75% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 4% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($22,042 vs. $21,202)

UC Riverside vs. UCSC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 82 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at UC Riverside (26)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UC Riverside has a higher acceptance rate (68.7%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UC Riverside vs. UCSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside 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 UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than University of California Riverside (73% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from University of California Riverside earn on average $1,800 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($52,200 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $850 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($19,109 vs. $19,959)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($197 vs. $206)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 65%)

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