Cal State Long Beach vs. UCSC

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

 Cal State Long Beach UCSC
Location Long Beach, CA Santa Cruz, CA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 40,278 19,764
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #505 #251
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csulb.edu ucsc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cal State Long Beach UCSC
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $11,834
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $42,611
Room & Board $15,612 $18,785
Avg Net Price $9,731 $16,526
Avg Grant Aid $10,512 $21,564
% Receiving Grant Aid 77% 65%

Admission

 Cal State Long Beach UCSC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 79,680 68,845
Admitted 37,547 43,054
Acceptance Rate 47.1% 62.5%
Enrolled % 15.3% 10.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.63
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 20/26 25/33
SAT Range 1020/1240 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 Nov 30, 2025

Academics

 Cal State Long Beach UCSC
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)

Outcomes

 Cal State Long Beach UCSC
Graduation Rate 54% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,100 $50,400
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $19,959
Median Loan Payment $155 $206

Diversity

 Cal State Long Beach UCSC
% Men 6% 5%
% Women 9% 5%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 19% 33%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 39% 31%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 7%
% International 6% 4%
% Unknown Race 4% 2%

Students

 Cal State Long Beach UCSC
% In-State 97% 91%
% Out-of-State 1% 7%

Campus

 Cal State Long Beach 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 State University Long Beach is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (40,278 students vs. 19,764 students)

Cal State Long Beach vs. UCSC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cal State Long Beach or UCSC?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 106.1% more expensive to attend than Cal State Long Beach for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 141.8% higher at UCSC than California State University Long Beach ($42,611.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Long Beach than UCSC ($9,731 vs. $16,526)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Long Beach are 20.3% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($15,612 vs. $18,785)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Long Beach than University of California Santa Cruz (77% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 105.1% larger than aid received California State University Long Beach ($21,564 vs. $10,512)

Cal State Long Beach vs. UCSC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 145 points higher than at Cal State Long Beach (1056)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Cal State Long Beach (23)
  • Accepted freshman Cal State Long Beach students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (62.5%) than Cal State Long Beach (47.1%)

Cal State Long Beach vs. UCSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cal State Long Beach 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 State Long Beach.

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than California State University Long Beach (73% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from California State University Long Beach earn on average $700 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($51,100 vs. $50,400)
  • California State University Long Beach students graduate with a $4,959 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($15,000 vs. $19,959)
  • Cal State Long Beach graduates are paying $51 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($155 vs. $206)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cal State Long Beach students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 69%)

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