UC Riverside vs. UNC Charlotte

Should I go to University of California Riverside or University of North Carolina at Charlotte? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Riverside or UNC Charlotte 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 North Carolina at Charlotte comparison
University of California Riverside University of North Carolina at Charlotte College 3 College 4
University of California Riverside University of North Carolina at Charlotte
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Overview

 UC Riverside UNC Charlotte
Location Riverside, CA Charlotte, NC
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 26,809 29,551
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #562
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu uncc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Riverside UNC Charlotte
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $3,812
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $17,936
Room & Board $17,333 $12,896
Avg Net Price $14,487 $13,951
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $7,907
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 60%

Admission

 UC Riverside UNC Charlotte
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 21,355
Admitted 37,563 17,007
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 79.6%
Enrolled % 14.8% 24.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.57
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/31 20/27
SAT Range 1080/1280 1070/1290
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Jun 1, 2024

Academics

 UC Riverside UNC Charlotte
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

 UC Riverside UNC Charlotte
Graduation Rate 67% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 61%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $23,000
Median Loan Payment $197 $237

Diversity

 UC Riverside UNC Charlotte
% Men 49% 49%
% Women 51% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 13% 60%
% Black 4% 17%
% Hispanic 36% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

 UC Riverside UNC Charlotte
% In-State 94% 89%
% Out-of-State 2% 8%

Campus

 UC Riverside UNC Charlotte
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte is larger than than UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (29,551 students vs. 26,809 students)

UC Riverside vs. UNC Charlotte Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or UNC Charlotte?

  • University of California Riverside is 203.4% more expensive to attend than UNC Charlotte for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $3,812.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 132.1% higher at UC Riverside than University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($41,636.00 vs. $17,936.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of North Carolina at Charlotte than UC Riverside ($13,951 vs. $14,487)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Charlotte are 34.4% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($12,896 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Riverside than University of North Carolina at Charlotte (75% vs. 60%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 178.8% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($22,042 vs. $7,907)

UC Riverside vs. UNC Charlotte Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Riverside (1119) is 26 points higher than at UNC Charlotte (1093)
  • Incoming UC Riverside students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at UNC Charlotte (24)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at UNC Charlotte (3.57)
  • UNC Charlotte has a higher acceptance rate (79.6%) than UC Riverside (68.7%)

UC Riverside vs. UNC Charlotte Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside or UNC Charlotte? 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 UNC Charlotte and UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at UC Riverside is higher than University of North Carolina at Charlotte (67% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from University of California Riverside earn on average $3,600 more per year than UNC Charlotte graduates after ten years. ($52,200 vs. $48,600)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $3,891 lower median federal student loan debt than UNC Charlotte graduates. ($19,109 vs. $23,000)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than UNC Charlotte graduates. ($197 vs. $237)
  • More UC Riverside graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNC Charlotte students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 61%)

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