UCSC vs. HMC

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

UCSC HMC
Location Santa Cruz, CA Claremont, CA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 19,478 922
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #222
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu hmc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC HMC
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $62,516
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $62,516
Room & Board $18,185 $19,879
Avg Net Price $17,975 $39,850
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $42,386
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 57%

Admission

UCSC HMC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 4,440
Admitted 30,926 593
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 13.4%
Enrolled % 12.5% 40%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.96
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Very High
ACT Range 25/33 34/36
SAT Range 1160/1360 1480/1560
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 HMC
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Engineering (42%)
  • Physical Sciences (18%)
  • Mathematics (13%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (9%)

Outcomes

UCSC HMC
Graduation Rate 73% 84%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $84,900
Making Student Loan Payments 74% -
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $25,540
Median Loan Payment $206 $264

Diversity

UCSC HMC
% Men 50% 51%
% Women 50% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 38%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 31% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 8%
% International 4% 13%
% Unknown Race 2% 5%

Students

UCSC HMC
% In-State 90% 43%
% Out-of-State 7% 43%

Campus

UCSC HMC
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
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 HMC based on total student enrollment (19,478 students vs. 922 students)

UCSC vs. HMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or HMC?

  • Harvey Mudd College is 440.6% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($62,516.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 50.1% higher at HMC than University of California Santa Cruz ($62,516.00 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 HMC ($17,975 vs. $39,850)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Cruz are 9.3% lower than costs at Harvey Mudd College ($18,185 vs. $19,879)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than Harvey Mudd College (68% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Harvey Mudd College students is 99.9% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($42,386 vs. $21,202)

UCSC vs. HMC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Harvey Mudd College (1484) is 283 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming HMC students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at UCSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman HMC students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (46.9%) than HMC (13.4%)

UCSC vs. HMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or HMC? 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 HMC and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at HMC is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (84% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from Harvey Mudd College earn on average $34,500 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($84,900 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $5,581 lower median federal student loan debt than HMC graduates. ($19,959 vs. $25,540)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $58 less per month on federal student loans than HMC graduates. ($206 vs. $264)

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