UCSC vs. UofSC

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

UCSC UofSC
Location Santa Cruz, CA Columbia, SC
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 19,478 35,653
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #208
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu sc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC UofSC
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $12,288
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $33,528
Room & Board $18,185 $11,780
Avg Net Price $17,975 $22,427
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $6,880
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 98%

Admission

UCSC UofSC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 42,188
Admitted 30,926 27,022
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 64.1%
Enrolled % 12.5% 24.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.69
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/33 27/32
SAT Range 1160/1360 1180/1380
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 Dec 1, 2023

Academics

UCSC UofSC
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 (35%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

UCSC UofSC
Graduation Rate 73% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $51,700
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $206 $240

Diversity

UCSC UofSC
% Men 50% 42%
% Women 50% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 33% 77%
% Black 2% 10%
% Hispanic 31% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 4%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

UCSC UofSC
% In-State 90% 52%
% Out-of-State 7% 47%

Campus

UCSC UofSC
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 South Carolina Columbia is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (35,653 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. UofSC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or UofSC?

  • University of South Carolina Columbia is 6.3% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($12,288.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 24.2% higher at UCSC than University of South Carolina Columbia ($41,636.00 vs. $33,528.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than UofSC ($17,975 vs. $22,427)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of South Carolina Columbia are 54.4% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($11,780 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of South Carolina Columbia than University of California Santa Cruz (98% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 208.2% larger than aid received University of South Carolina Columbia ($21,202 vs. $6,880)

UCSC vs. UofSC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of South Carolina Columbia (1220) is 19 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming UCSC students have at the same average ACT score (28) as students at UofSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman UofSC students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.69) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UofSC has a higher acceptance rate (64.1%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. UofSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than University of South Carolina Columbia (73% vs. 70%)
  • Graduates from University of South Carolina Columbia earn on average $1,300 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($51,700 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $3,291 lower median federal student loan debt than UofSC graduates. ($19,959 vs. $23,250)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $34 less per month on federal student loans than UofSC graduates. ($206 vs. $240)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UofSC students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 69%)

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