UCSC vs. Purdue

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

UCSC Purdue
Location Santa Cruz, CA West Lafayette, IN
Setting Small City Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 19,478 51,528
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #101
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu purdue.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC Purdue
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $9,718
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $28,520
Room & Board $18,185 $10,030
Avg Net Price $17,975 $12,576
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $8,950
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 48%

Admission

UCSC Purdue
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 68,582
Admitted 30,926 36,146
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 52.7%
Enrolled % 12.5% 26.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.67
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/33 27/34
SAT Range 1160/1360 1200/1470
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023

Academics

UCSC Purdue
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Engineering (18%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)

Outcomes

UCSC Purdue
Graduation Rate 73% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $61,200
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $206 $222

Diversity

UCSC Purdue
% Men 50% 58%
% Women 50% 42%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 33% 65%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 31% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 2%
% International 4% 17%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

UCSC Purdue
% In-State 90% 46%
% Out-of-State 7% 44%

Campus

UCSC Purdue
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

  • Purdue University Main Campus is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (51,528 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. Purdue Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Purdue?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 19% more expensive to attend than Purdue for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $9,718.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 46% higher at UCSC than Purdue University Main Campus ($41,636.00 vs. $28,520.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Purdue University Main Campus than UCSC ($12,576 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Purdue University Main Campus are 81.3% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($10,030 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than Purdue University Main Campus (68% vs. 48%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 136.9% larger than aid received Purdue University Main Campus ($21,202 vs. $8,950)

UCSC vs. Purdue Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Purdue University Main Campus (1231) is 30 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming UCSC students have at the same average ACT score (28) as students at Purdue (28)
  • Accepted freshman Purdue students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.67) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • Purdue has a higher acceptance rate (52.7%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. Purdue Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than Purdue University Main Campus (73% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from Purdue University Main Campus earn on average $10,800 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($61,200 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $1,541 lower median federal student loan debt than Purdue graduates. ($19,959 vs. $21,500)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than Purdue graduates. ($206 vs. $222)
  • More Purdue graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 74%)

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