ASU vs. UCSC

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

ASU UCSC
Location Tempe, AZ Santa Cruz, CA
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 80,065 19,478
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #389 #222
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website asu.edu ucsc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ASU UCSC
Tuition (In State) $10,978 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $29,952 $41,636
Room & Board $14,718 $18,185
Avg Net Price $14,808 $17,975
Avg Grant Aid $12,381 $21,202
% Receiving Grant Aid 89% 68%

Admission

ASU UCSC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 68,789 65,912
Admitted 61,739 30,926
Acceptance Rate 89.8% 46.9%
Enrolled % 24.5% 12.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.54 3.63
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/28 25/33
SAT Range 1100/1320 1160/1360
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024

Academics

ASU UCSC
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)

Outcomes

ASU UCSC
Graduation Rate 57% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,600 $50,400
Making Student Loan Payments 57% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,278 $19,959
Median Loan Payment $209 $206

Diversity

ASU UCSC
% Men 52% 50%
% Women 48% 50%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 52% 33%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 19% 31%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 7%
% International 12% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

ASU UCSC
% In-State 57% 90%
% Out-of-State 36% 7%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Arizona State University is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (80,065 students vs. 19,478 students)

ASU vs. UCSC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ASU or UCSC?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 5.3% more expensive to attend than ASU for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $10,978.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 39% higher at UCSC than Arizona State University ($41,636.00 vs. $29,952.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Arizona State University than UCSC ($14,808 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Arizona State University are 23.6% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($14,718 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Arizona State University than University of California Santa Cruz (89% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 71.2% larger than aid received Arizona State University ($21,202 vs. $12,381)

ASU vs. UCSC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 43 points higher than at ASU (1158)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at ASU (26)
  • Accepted freshman UCSC students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at ASU (3.54)
  • ASU has a higher acceptance rate (89.8%) than UCSC (46.9%)

ASU vs. UCSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than Arizona State University (73% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from Arizona State University earn on average $2,200 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($52,600 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $319 lower median federal student loan debt than ASU graduates. ($19,959 vs. $20,278)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $3 less per month on federal student loans than ASU graduates. ($206 vs. $209)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ASU students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 57%)

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