UCSC vs. OSU

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

 UCSC OSU
Location Santa Cruz, CA Corvallis, OR
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 19,478 34,292
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #363
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu oregonstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSC OSU
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $10,425
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $31,200
Room & Board $18,185 $14,238
Avg Net Price $17,975 $21,163
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $9,260
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 88%

Admission

 UCSC OSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 25,651
Admitted 30,926 21,169
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 82.5%
Enrolled % 12.5% 21.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.61
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/33 21/28
SAT Range 1160/1360 1120/1370
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Feb 1, 2024

Academics

 UCSC OSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Work and Family Studies (11%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (6%)

Outcomes

 UCSC OSU
Graduation Rate 73% 61%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $53,900
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $23,500
Median Loan Payment $206 $242

Diversity

 UCSC OSU
% Men 50% 51%
% Women 50% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 33% 67%
% Black 2% 1%
% Hispanic 31% 9%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 7%
% International 4% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 UCSC OSU
% In-State 90% 57%
% Out-of-State 7% 41%

Campus

 UCSC OSU
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

  • Oregon State University is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (34,292 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. OSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or OSU?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 10.9% more expensive to attend than OSU for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $10,425.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 33.4% higher at UCSC than Oregon State University ($41,636.00 vs. $31,200.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than OSU ($17,975 vs. $21,163)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Oregon State University are 27.7% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($14,238 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Oregon State University than University of California Santa Cruz (88% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 129% larger than aid received Oregon State University ($21,202 vs. $9,260)

UCSC vs. OSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 88 points higher than at OSU (1113)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at OSU (25)
  • Accepted freshman UCSC students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at OSU (3.61)
  • OSU has a higher acceptance rate (82.5%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. OSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than Oregon State University (73% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from Oregon State University earn on average $3,500 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($53,900 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $3,541 lower median federal student loan debt than OSU graduates. ($19,959 vs. $23,500)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than OSU graduates. ($206 vs. $242)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former OSU 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/