UCSC vs. SCI-Arc

Should I go to University of California Santa Cruz or Southern California Institute of Architecture? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSC or SCI-Arc 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. 

UC Riverside UCSB UC Davis Cal Poly San Jose State UC Merced San Diego State UCI UCSD SCU Cal State Long Beach USF
University of California Santa Cruz vs. Southern California Institute of Architecture comparison
University of California Santa Cruz Southern California Institute of Architecture College 3 College 4
University of California Santa Cruz Southern California Institute of Architecture
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 UCSC SCI-Arc
Location Santa Cruz, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 19,478 507
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #222
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu sciarc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSC SCI-Arc
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $49,490
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $49,490
Room & Board $18,185 $13,440
Avg Net Price $17,975 $19,041
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $43,364
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 30%

Admission

 UCSC SCI-Arc
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 513
Admitted 30,926 307
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 59.8%
Enrolled % 12.5% 9.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.5
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Moderate
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/33
SAT Range 1160/1360 1020/1230
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 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

 UCSC SCI-Arc
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Architecture (100%)

Outcomes

 UCSC SCI-Arc
Graduation Rate 73% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $46,400
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 62%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $42,750
Median Loan Payment $206 $442

Diversity

 UCSC SCI-Arc
% Men 50% 59%
% Women 50% 41%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 13%
% Black 2% 1%
% Hispanic 31% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 2%
% International 4% 51%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 UCSC SCI-Arc
% In-State 90% 29%
% Out-of-State 7% 14%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Santa Cruz is larger than than SCI-Arc based on total student enrollment (19,478 students vs. 507 students)

UCSC vs. SCI-Arc Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or SCI-Arc?

  • Southern California Institute of Architecture is 328% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($49,490.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 18.9% higher at SCI-Arc than University of California Santa Cruz ($49,490.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than SCI-Arc ($17,975 vs. $19,041)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southern California Institute of Architecture are 35.3% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($13,440 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than Southern California Institute of Architecture (68% vs. 30%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Southern California Institute of Architecture students is 104.5% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($43,364 vs. $21,202)

UCSC vs. SCI-Arc Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 85 points higher than at SCI-Arc (1116)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at SCI-Arc (27)
  • Accepted freshman UCSC students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at SCI-Arc (3.5)
  • SCI-Arc has a higher acceptance rate (59.8%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. SCI-Arc Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or SCI-Arc? 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 SCI-Arc and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than Southern California Institute of Architecture (73% vs. 58%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Cruz earn on average $4,000 more per year than SCI-Arc graduates after ten years. ($50,400 vs. $46,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $22,791 lower median federal student loan debt than SCI-Arc graduates. ($19,959 vs. $42,750)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $236 less per month on federal student loans than SCI-Arc graduates. ($206 vs. $442)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SCI-Arc students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 62%)

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