Cal Poly vs. UCSC

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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California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo vs. University of California Santa Cruz comparison
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo University of California Santa Cruz College 3 College 4
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo University of California Santa Cruz
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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
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
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
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 23:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Agriculture (15%)
  • Architecture (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)

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
% 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
% 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

Comparable Facts

  • California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (22,000 students vs. 19,478 students)

Cal Poly vs. UCSC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cal Poly or UCSC?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 101.4% more expensive to attend than Cal Poly for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 136.3% higher at UCSC than California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo ($41,636.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than Cal Poly ($17,975 vs. $19,184)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo are 10.6% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($16,449 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (68% vs. 42%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 110.7% larger than aid received California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo ($21,202 vs. $10,065)

Cal Poly vs. UCSC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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 .

  • The average SAT score at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (1259) is 58 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming Cal Poly students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at UCSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman Cal Poly students have a 0.37 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (46.9%) than Cal Poly (30.4%)

Cal Poly vs. UCSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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.

  • The graduation rate at Cal Poly is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (75% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo earn on average $19,000 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($69,400 vs. $50,400)
  • California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo students graduate with a $1,293 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($18,666 vs. $19,959)
  • Cal Poly graduates are paying $13 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($193 vs. $206)
  • More Cal Poly graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 74%)

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