UCSC vs. UMass

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

UCSC UMass
Location Santa Cruz, CA Amherst, MA
Setting Small City Town Fringe
Enrollment 19,478 32,229
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #176
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu umass.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC UMass
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $16,186
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $37,405
Room & Board $18,185 $14,123
Avg Net Price $17,975 $22,291
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $12,350
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 85%

Admission

UCSC UMass
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 45,451
Admitted 30,926 28,871
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 63.5%
Enrolled % 12.5% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.99
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/33 29/33
SAT Range 1160/1360 1260/1480
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 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

UCSC UMass
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Communication (7%)

Outcomes

UCSC UMass
Graduation Rate 73% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $55,200
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $24,000
Median Loan Payment $206 $248

Diversity

UCSC UMass
% Men 50% 49%
% Women 50% 51%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 33% 67%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 31% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 4% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 8%

Students

UCSC UMass
% In-State 90% 65%
% Out-of-State 7% 24%

Campus

UCSC UMass
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

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (32,229 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. UMass Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or UMass?

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst is 40% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($16,186.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.3% higher at UCSC than University of Massachusetts Amherst ($41,636.00 vs. $37,405.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than UMass ($17,975 vs. $22,291)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Massachusetts Amherst are 28.8% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($14,123 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Massachusetts Amherst than University of California Santa Cruz (85% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 71.7% larger than aid received University of Massachusetts Amherst ($21,202 vs. $12,350)

UCSC vs. UMass Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Massachusetts Amherst (1226) is 25 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming UCSC students have at the same average ACT score (28) as students at UMass (28)
  • Accepted freshman UMass students have a 0.36 point higher average high school GPA (3.99) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UMass has a higher acceptance rate (63.5%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. UMass Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than University of Massachusetts Amherst (73% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from University of Massachusetts Amherst earn on average $4,800 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($55,200 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $4,041 lower median federal student loan debt than UMass graduates. ($19,959 vs. $24,000)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $42 less per month on federal student loans than UMass graduates. ($206 vs. $248)
  • More UMass graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 74%)

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