UCSC vs. USF

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

 UCSC USF
Location Santa Cruz, CA San Francisco, CA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 19,478 9,688
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #137
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu usfca.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSC USF
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $54,980
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $54,980
Room & Board $18,185 $16,550
Avg Net Price $17,975 $42,953
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $30,916
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 96%

Admission

 UCSC USF
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 23,103
Admitted 30,926 16,444
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 71.2%
Enrolled % 12.5% 9.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.57
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/33 27/31
SAT Range 1160/1360 1210/1410
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 USF
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (5%)

Outcomes

 UCSC USF
Graduation Rate 73% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $70,400
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $206 $258

Diversity

 UCSC USF
% Men 50% 35%
% Women 50% 65%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 27%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 31% 19%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 7% 7%
% International 4% 19%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 UCSC USF
% In-State 90% 55%
% Out-of-State 7% 34%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Santa Cruz is larger than than USF based on total student enrollment (19,478 students vs. 9,688 students)

UCSC vs. USF Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or USF?

  • University of San Francisco is 375.4% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($54,980.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 32% higher at USF than University of California Santa Cruz ($54,980.00 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 USF ($17,975 vs. $42,953)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of San Francisco are 9.9% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($16,550 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of San Francisco than University of California Santa Cruz (96% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Francisco students is 45.8% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($30,916 vs. $21,202)

UCSC vs. USF Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 29 points higher than at USF (1172)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at USF (26)
  • Accepted freshman UCSC students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at USF (3.57)
  • USF has a higher acceptance rate (71.2%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. USF Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than University of San Francisco (73% vs. 70%)
  • Graduates from University of San Francisco earn on average $20,000 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($70,400 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $5,041 lower median federal student loan debt than USF graduates. ($19,959 vs. $25,000)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $52 less per month on federal student loans than USF graduates. ($206 vs. $258)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USF 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/