UCSC vs. Claremont McKenna

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

UCSC Claremont McKenna
Location Santa Cruz, CA Claremont, CA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 19,478 1,389
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #18
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu claremontmckenna.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC Claremont McKenna
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $60,480
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $60,480
Room & Board $18,185 $18,712
Avg Net Price $17,975 $28,701
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $50,020
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 49%

Admission

UCSC Claremont McKenna
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 5,709
Admitted 30,926 591
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 10.4%
Enrolled % 12.5% 54.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.89
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Very High
ACT Range 25/33 33/35
SAT Range 1160/1360 1440/1550
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 Jan 5, 2024

Academics

UCSC Claremont McKenna
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Social Sciences (44%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Business (7%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

UCSC Claremont McKenna
Graduation Rate 73% 91%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $97,800
Making Student Loan Payments 74% -
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $14,967
Median Loan Payment $206 $154

Diversity

UCSC Claremont McKenna
% Men 50% 49%
% Women 50% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 42%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 31% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 7%
% International 4% 17%
% Unknown Race 2% 6%

Students

UCSC Claremont McKenna
% In-State 90% 42%
% Out-of-State 7% 41%

Campus

UCSC Claremont McKenna
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Santa Cruz is larger than than Claremont McKenna based on total student enrollment (19,478 students vs. 1,389 students)

UCSC vs. Claremont McKenna Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Claremont McKenna?

  • Claremont McKenna College is 423% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($60,480.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 45.3% higher at Claremont McKenna than University of California Santa Cruz ($60,480.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than Claremont McKenna ($17,975 vs. $28,701)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Cruz are 2.9% lower than costs at Claremont McKenna College ($18,185 vs. $18,712)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than Claremont McKenna College (68% vs. 49%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Claremont McKenna College students is 135.9% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($50,020 vs. $21,202)

UCSC vs. Claremont McKenna Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Claremont McKenna College (1408) is 207 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming Claremont McKenna students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UCSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman Claremont McKenna students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.89) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (46.9%) than Claremont McKenna (10.4%)

UCSC vs. Claremont McKenna Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or Claremont McKenna? 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 Claremont McKenna and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at Claremont McKenna is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (91% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from Claremont McKenna College earn on average $47,400 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($97,800 vs. $50,400)
  • Claremont McKenna College students graduate with a $4,992 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($14,967 vs. $19,959)
  • Claremont McKenna graduates are paying $52 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($154 vs. $206)

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