UCSC vs. Virginia Tech

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

UCSC Virginia Tech
Location Santa Cruz, CA Blacksburg, VA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 19,478 38,170
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #142
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu vt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC Virginia Tech
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $12,104
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $31,754
Room & Board $18,185 $12,680
Avg Net Price $17,975 $19,301
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $7,649
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 57%

Admission

UCSC Virginia Tech
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 45,321
Admitted 30,926 25,825
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 57%
Enrolled % 12.5% 27.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.97
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/33 27/32
SAT Range 1160/1360 1240/1430
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 Virginia Tech
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Work and Family Studies (6%)

Outcomes

UCSC Virginia Tech
Graduation Rate 73% 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $65,000
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 81%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $23,966
Median Loan Payment $206 $247

Diversity

UCSC Virginia Tech
% Men 50% 57%
% Women 50% 43%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 33% 68%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 31% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 4%
% International 4% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

UCSC Virginia Tech
% In-State 90% 64%
% Out-of-State 7% 32%

Campus

UCSC Virginia Tech
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

  • Virginia Tech is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (38,170 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. Virginia Tech Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Virginia Tech?

  • Virginia Tech is 4.7% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($12,104.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 31.1% higher at UCSC than Virginia Tech ($41,636.00 vs. $31,754.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than Virginia Tech ($17,975 vs. $19,301)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Virginia Tech are 43.4% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($12,680 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than Virginia Tech (68% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 177.2% larger than aid received Virginia Tech ($21,202 vs. $7,649)

UCSC vs. Virginia Tech Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Virginia Tech (1210) is 9 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Accepted freshman Virginia Tech students have a 0.34 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • Virginia Tech has a higher acceptance rate (57%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. Virginia Tech Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or Virginia Tech? 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 Virginia Tech and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at Virginia Tech is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (82% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from Virginia Tech earn on average $14,600 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($65,000 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $4,007 lower median federal student loan debt than Virginia Tech graduates. ($19,959 vs. $23,966)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $41 less per month on federal student loans than Virginia Tech graduates. ($206 vs. $247)
  • More Virginia Tech graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 74%)

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