UCSC vs. Mills College

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

UCSC Mills College
Location Santa Cruz, CA Oakland, CA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 19,478 817
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #222
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu mills.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC Mills College
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $29,340
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $29,340
Room & Board $18,185 $14,369
Avg Net Price $17,975 -
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $0
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 0%

Admission

UCSC Mills College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 -
Admitted 30,926 -
Acceptance Rate 46.9%
Enrolled % 12.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.57
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/33 30/31
SAT Range 1160/1360 1378/1413
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023

Academics

UCSC Mills College
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 (17%)
  • English and Literature (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Ethnic Studies (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)

Outcomes

UCSC Mills College
Graduation Rate 73% 57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $44,400
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $23,500
Median Loan Payment $206 $242

Diversity

UCSC Mills College
% Men 50% 9%
% Women 50% 91%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 48%
% Black 2% 7%
% Hispanic 31% 24%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 10%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

UCSC Mills College
% In-State 90% 75%
% Out-of-State 7% 22%

Campus

UCSC Mills College
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 Mills College based on total student enrollment (19,478 students vs. 817 students)

UCSC vs. Mills College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Mills College?

  • Mills College is 153.7% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($29,340.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 41.9% higher at UCSC than Mills College ($41,636.00 vs. $29,340.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Mills College are 26.6% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($14,369 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than Mills College (68% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is ?% larger than aid received Mills College ($21,202 vs. $0)

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 18 points higher than at Mills College (1183)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Mills College (27)
  • Accepted freshman UCSC students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at Mills College (3.57)

UCSC vs. Mills College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or Mills College? 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 Mills College and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than Mills College (73% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Cruz earn on average $6,000 more per year than Mills College graduates after ten years. ($50,400 vs. $44,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $3,541 lower median federal student loan debt than Mills College graduates. ($19,959 vs. $23,500)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than Mills College graduates. ($206 vs. $242)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mills College students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 66%)

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