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U of A UC Riverside UCSB UC Davis Cal Poly San Jose State UC Merced San Diego State UCI UB UCSD SCU| Arizona State University | University of California Santa Cruz | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
ASU | UCSC | ||
| Location | Tempe, AZ | Santa Cruz, CA | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Small City | ||
| Enrollment | 79,593 | 19,764 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #384 | #251 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | asu.edu | ucsc.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
ASU | UCSC | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $11,308 | $11,834 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $31,450 | $42,611 | ||
| Room & Board | $16,091 | $18,785 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $16,401 | $16,526 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $11,992 | $21,564 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 89% | 65% |
Admission |
ASU | UCSC | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 68,840 | 68,845 | ||
| Admitted | 62,084 | 43,054 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 90.2% | 62.5% | ||
| Enrolled % | 22.7% | 10.2% | ||
| 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, 2025 |
Academics |
ASU | UCSC | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 18:1 | 22:1 | ||
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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 | 10% | 5% | ||
| % Women | 8% | 5% | ||
| 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 | 61% | 91% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 32% | 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 (79,593 students vs. 19,764 students)
ASU vs. UCSC Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, ASU or UCSC?
- University of California Santa Cruz is 4.7% more expensive to attend than ASU for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $11,308.00)
- Out of state tuition is 35.5% higher at UCSC than Arizona State University ($42,611.00 vs. $31,450.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Arizona State University than UCSC ($16,401 vs. $16,526)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Arizona State University are 16.7% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($16,091 vs. $18,785)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Arizona State University than University of California Santa Cruz (89% vs. 65%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 79.8% larger than aid received Arizona State University ($21,564 vs. $11,992)
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 (90.2%) than UCSC (62.5%)
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/