UCSC vs. Rutgers

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

 UCSC Rutgers
Location Santa Cruz, CA New Brunswick, NJ
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 19,478 50,637
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #112
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu rutgers.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSC Rutgers
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $12,900
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $30,600
Room & Board $18,185 $13,909
Avg Net Price $17,975 $17,535
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $12,785
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 57%

Admission

 UCSC Rutgers
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 41,654
Admitted 30,926 27,612
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 66.3%
Enrolled % 12.5% 28.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.3
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/33 28/33
SAT Range 1160/1360 1270/1480
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

Academics

 UCSC Rutgers
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Engineering (8%)

Outcomes

 UCSC Rutgers
Graduation Rate 73% 77%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $66,200
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 68%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $22,215
Median Loan Payment $206 $229

Diversity

 UCSC Rutgers
% Men 50% 46%
% Women 50% 54%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 42%
% Black 2% 7%
% Hispanic 31% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 4% 7%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 UCSC Rutgers
% In-State 90% 85%
% Out-of-State 7% 8%

Campus

 UCSC Rutgers
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Rutgers University New Brunswick is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (50,637 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. Rutgers Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Rutgers?

  • Rutgers University New Brunswick is 11.6% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($12,900.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.1% higher at UCSC than Rutgers University New Brunswick ($41,636.00 vs. $30,600.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Rutgers University New Brunswick than UCSC ($17,535 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Rutgers University New Brunswick are 30.7% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($13,909 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than Rutgers University New Brunswick (68% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 65.8% larger than aid received Rutgers University New Brunswick ($21,202 vs. $12,785)

UCSC vs. Rutgers Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Rutgers University New Brunswick (1225) is 24 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Accepted freshman UCSC students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at Rutgers (3.3)
  • Rutgers has a higher acceptance rate (66.3%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. Rutgers Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Rutgers is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (77% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from Rutgers University New Brunswick earn on average $15,800 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($66,200 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $2,256 lower median federal student loan debt than Rutgers graduates. ($19,959 vs. $22,215)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than Rutgers graduates. ($206 vs. $229)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Rutgers students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 68%)

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