Should I go to California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo or University of California Santa Cruz? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cal Poly 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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UC Riverside Caltech UCSB UC Davis San Diego State San Jose State UC Merced UCI UCSD UW-Seattle California State Polytechnic University-Pomona PomonaCalifornia Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo | University of California Santa Cruz | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Cal Poly | UCSC | ||
Location | San Luis Obispo, CA | Santa Cruz, CA | ||
Setting | Small Suburban | Small City | ||
Enrollment | 22,000 | 19,478 | ||
Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
National Ranking | #155 | #222 | ||
Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
Website | calpoly.edu | ucsc.edu | ||
Team Colors |
Costs |
Cal Poly | UCSC | ||
Tuition (In State) | $5,742 | $11,564 | ||
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Tuition (Out of State) | $17,622 | $41,636 | ||
Room & Board | $16,449 | $18,185 | ||
Avg Net Price | $19,184 | $17,975 | ||
Avg Grant Aid | $10,065 | $21,202 | ||
% Receiving Grant Aid | 42% | 68% |
Admission |
Cal Poly | UCSC | ||
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Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
Applied | 58,774 | 65,912 | ||
Admitted | 17,885 | 30,926 | ||
Acceptance Rate | 30.4% | 46.9% | ||
Enrolled % | 28.6% | 12.5% | ||
Avg High School GPA | 4.0 | 3.63 | ||
Typical High School Grades | A/A+ | B+ | ||
Admissions Standards | Very High | Very High | ||
Applicant Competition | High | Low | ||
ACT Range | 26/32 | 25/33 | ||
SAT Range | 1220/1410 | 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 | Nov 30, 2024 |
Academics |
Cal Poly | UCSC | ||
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Student to Faculty Ratio | 20:1 | 23:1 | ||
Popular Majors |
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Outcomes |
Cal Poly | UCSC | ||
Graduation Rate | 75% | 73% | ||
Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $69,400 | $50,400 | ||
Making Student Loan Payments | 85% | 74% | ||
Median Student Loan Debt | $18,666 | $19,959 | ||
Median Loan Payment | $193 | $206 |
Diversity |
Cal Poly | UCSC | ||
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% Men | 51% | 50% | ||
% Women | 49% | 50% | ||
Racial Diversity | High | Very High | ||
HBCU | No | No | ||
% White | 57% | 33% | ||
% Black | 1% | 2% | ||
% Hispanic | 16% | 31% | ||
% Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
% Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
% Two or More Races | 7% | 7% | ||
% International | 2% | 4% | ||
% Unknown Race | 5% | 2% |
Students |
Cal Poly | UCSC | ||
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% In-State | 83% | 90% | ||
% Out-of-State | 16% | 7% | ||
Campus |
Cal Poly | UCSC | ||
Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
Daycare Facility | Yes | Yes | ||
Learn More | Details | Details |
Which college is more expensive, Cal Poly or UCSC?
Which college is harder to get into, Cal Poly or UCSC? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UCSC or Cal Poly .
Which is better, Cal Poly 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 Cal Poly.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/