UCSC vs. Thomas Aquinas College

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

UCSC Thomas Aquinas College
Location Santa Cruz, CA Santa Paula, CA
Setting Small City Distant Rural
Enrollment 19,478 516
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #222
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu thomasaquinas.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC Thomas Aquinas College
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $27,000
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $27,000
Room & Board $18,185 $9,900
Avg Net Price $17,975 $24,217
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $14,211
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 57%

Admission

UCSC Thomas Aquinas College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 262
Admitted 30,926 222
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 84.7%
Enrolled % 12.5% 62.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.8
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/33 27/32
SAT Range 1160/1360 1220/1410
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 Thomas Aquinas College
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (100%)

Outcomes

UCSC Thomas Aquinas College
Graduation Rate 73% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $45,700
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 90%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $17,000
Median Loan Payment $206 $175

Diversity

UCSC Thomas Aquinas College
% Men 50% 48%
% Women 50% 52%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 33% 70%
% Black 2% 0%
% Hispanic 31% 15%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 7%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

UCSC Thomas Aquinas College
% In-State 90% 32%
% Out-of-State 7% 63%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Santa Cruz is larger than than Thomas Aquinas College based on total student enrollment (19,478 students vs. 516 students)

UCSC vs. Thomas Aquinas College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Thomas Aquinas College?

  • Thomas Aquinas College is 133.5% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($27,000.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 54.2% higher at UCSC than Thomas Aquinas College ($41,636.00 vs. $27,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than Thomas Aquinas College ($17,975 vs. $24,217)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Thomas Aquinas College are 83.7% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($9,900 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than Thomas Aquinas College (68% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 49.2% larger than aid received Thomas Aquinas College ($21,202 vs. $14,211)

UCSC vs. Thomas Aquinas College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Thomas Aquinas College (1280) is 79 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming Thomas Aquinas College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at UCSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman Thomas Aquinas College students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • Thomas Aquinas College has a higher acceptance rate (84.7%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. Thomas Aquinas College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or Thomas Aquinas College? 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 Thomas Aquinas College and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than Thomas Aquinas College (73% vs. 69%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Cruz earn on average $4,700 more per year than Thomas Aquinas College graduates after ten years. ($50,400 vs. $45,700)
  • Thomas Aquinas College students graduate with a $2,959 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($17,000 vs. $19,959)
  • Thomas Aquinas College graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($175 vs. $206)
  • More Thomas Aquinas College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 74%)

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