UCSC vs. Ohio State

Should I go to University of California Santa Cruz or Ohio State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSC or Ohio State 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Miami Michigan UC Riverside Wisconsin UCSB Pitt UC Davis Cal Poly Purdue San Jose State UC Merced NC State
University of California Santa Cruz vs. Ohio State University comparison
University of California Santa Cruz Ohio State University College 3 College 4
University of California Santa Cruz Ohio State University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 UCSC Ohio State
Location Santa Cruz, CA Columbus, OH
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 19,478 60,540
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #134
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu osu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSC Ohio State
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,525
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $35,762
Room & Board $18,185 $14,006
Avg Net Price $17,975 $19,582
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $10,993
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 74%

Admission

 UCSC Ohio State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 65,189
Admitted 30,926 34,370
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 52.7%
Enrolled % 12.5% 23.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.76
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/33 29/32
SAT Range 1160/1360 1310/1480
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 Feb 1, 2024

Academics

 UCSC Ohio State
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)

Outcomes

 UCSC Ohio State
Graduation Rate 73% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $50,600
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $206 $222

Diversity

 UCSC Ohio State
% Men 50% 48%
% Women 50% 52%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 33% 71%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 31% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 4% 7%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

 UCSC Ohio State
% In-State 90% 66%
% Out-of-State 7% 23%

Campus

 UCSC Ohio State
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

  • Ohio State University is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (60,540 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. Ohio State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Ohio State?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 0.3% more expensive to attend than Ohio State for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,525.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16.4% higher at UCSC than Ohio State University ($41,636.00 vs. $35,762.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than Ohio State ($17,975 vs. $19,582)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Ohio State University are 29.8% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($14,006 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Ohio State University than University of California Santa Cruz (74% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 92.9% larger than aid received Ohio State University ($21,202 vs. $10,993)

UCSC vs. Ohio State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Ohio State University (1295) is 94 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming Ohio State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at UCSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman Ohio State students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.76) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • Ohio State has a higher acceptance rate (52.7%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. Ohio State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or Ohio State? 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 Ohio State and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at Ohio State is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (80% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from Ohio State University earn on average $200 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($50,600 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $1,541 lower median federal student loan debt than Ohio State graduates. ($19,959 vs. $21,500)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than Ohio State graduates. ($206 vs. $222)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Ohio State students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 63%)

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