UCSC vs. San Jose State vs. UCSD vs. UC Riverside

Should I go to University of California Santa Cruz or San Jose State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSC or San Jose 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.
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University of California Santa Cruz vs. San Jose State University vs. University of California San Diego vs. University of California Riverside comparison
University of California Santa Cruz San Jose State University University of California San Diego University of California Riverside
University of California Santa Cruz San Jose State University University of California San Diego University of California Riverside
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Overview

 UCSC San Jose State UCSD UC Riverside
Location Santa Cruz, CA San Jose, CA La Jolla, CA Riverside, CA
Setting Small City Large City Large City Large City
Enrollment 19,764 36,062 42,376 26,426
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #251 #571 #88 #265
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu sjsu.edu ucsd.edu ucr.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 UCSC San Jose State UCSD UC Riverside
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $5,742 $11,834 $11,834
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $17,622 $42,611 $42,611
Room & Board $18,785 $19,866 $17,198 $19,433
Avg Net Price $16,526 $13,833 $13,293 $13,533
Avg Grant Aid $21,564 $11,311 $24,176 $21,566
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 61% 64% 70%

Admission

 UCSC San Jose State UCSD UC Riverside
Applied 68,845 35,780 130,771 62,807
Admitted 43,054 28,708 32,062 39,758
Acceptance Rate 62.5% 80.2% 24.5% 30.4%
Enrolled % 10.2% 15.7% 21.8% 17.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.35 3.82 3.84
Typical High School Grades B+ B+ A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Moderate Exceptional Difficult
Applicant Competition Low High Low
ACT Range 25/33 19/26 28/34 22/31
SAT Range 1160/1360 1010/1240 1270/1480 1080/1280
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Dec 15, 2025 Nov 30, 2025 Nov 30, 2025

Academics

 UCSC San Jose State UCSD UC Riverside
Student to Faculty Ratio 22:1 18:1 19:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (30%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Biology (23%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • General Studies (3%)

Outcomes

 UCSC San Jose State UCSD UC Riverside
Graduation Rate 73% 46% 85% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $59,900 $67,900 $52,200
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 73% 82% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $15,000 $18,500 $19,109
Median Loan Payment $206 $155 $191 $197

Diversity

 UCSC San Jose State UCSD UC Riverside
% Men 5% 9% 11% 9%
% Women 5% 15% 9% 5%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High Very High Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 33% 19% 21% 13%
% Black 2% 3% 1% 4%
% Hispanic 31% 26% 16% 36%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 5% 5% 4%
% International 4% 6% 17% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 4% 2% 1%

Students

 UCSC San Jose State UCSD UC Riverside
% In-State 91% 96% 79% 95%
% Out-of-State 7% 1% 10% 1%

Campus

 UCSC San Jose State UCSD UC Riverside
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • San Jose State University is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (36,062 students vs. 19,764 students)

UCSC vs. San Jose State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or San Jose State?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 106.1% more expensive to attend than San Jose State for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 141.8% higher at UCSC than San Jose State University ($42,611.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Jose State University than UCSC ($13,833 vs. $16,526)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Cruz are 5.8% lower than costs at San Jose State University ($18,785 vs. $19,866)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than San Jose State University (65% vs. 61%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 90.6% larger than aid received San Jose State University ($21,564 vs. $11,311)

UCSC vs. San Jose State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 146 points higher than at San Jose State (1055)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at San Jose State (23)
  • Accepted freshman UCSC students have a 0.28 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at San Jose State (3.35)
  • San Jose State has a higher acceptance rate (80.2%) than UCSC (62.5%)

UCSC vs. San Jose State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or San Jose 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 San Jose State and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than San Jose State University (73% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from San Jose State University earn on average $9,500 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($59,900 vs. $50,400)
  • San Jose State University students graduate with a $4,959 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($15,000 vs. $19,959)
  • San Jose State graduates are paying $51 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($155 vs. $206)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Jose State students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 73%)

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