UC Berkeley vs. UCSC

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

 UC Berkeley UCSC
Location Berkeley, CA Santa Cruz, CA
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 45,699 19,764
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #64 #251
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website berkeley.edu ucsc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Berkeley UCSC
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $11,834
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $42,611
Room & Board $22,692 $18,785
Avg Net Price $16,997 $16,526
Avg Grant Aid $25,951 $21,564
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 65%

Admission

 UC Berkeley UCSC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 125,910 68,845
Admitted 14,677 43,054
Acceptance Rate 11.7% 62.5%
Enrolled % 45.2% 10.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.63
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 30/35 25/33
SAT Range 1310/1530 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

 UC Berkeley UCSC
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)

Outcomes

 UC Berkeley UCSC
Graduation Rate 90% 73%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,700 $50,400
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,200 $19,959
Median Loan Payment $146 $206

Diversity

 UC Berkeley UCSC
% Men 14% 5%
% Women 13% 5%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 33%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 14% 31%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 7%
% International 14% 4%
% Unknown Race 3% 2%

Students

 UC Berkeley UCSC
% In-State 79% 91%
% Out-of-State 10% 7%

Campus

 UC Berkeley 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

  • University of California Berkeley is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (45,699 students vs. 19,764 students)

UC Berkeley vs. UCSC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Berkeley or UCSC?

  • University of California Berkeley and UCSC cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at UC Berkeley as University of California Santa Cruz ($42,611.00 vs. $42,611.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than UC Berkeley ($16,526 vs. $16,997)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Cruz are 20.8% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($18,785 vs. $22,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than University of California Berkeley (65% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Berkeley students is 20.3% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($25,951 vs. $21,564)

UC Berkeley vs. UCSC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Berkeley (1397) is 196 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming UC Berkeley students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at UCSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman UC Berkeley students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.87) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (62.5%) than UC Berkeley (11.7%)

UC Berkeley vs. UCSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Berkeley 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 UC Berkeley.

  • The graduation rate at UC Berkeley is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (90% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from University of California Berkeley earn on average $24,300 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($74,700 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Berkeley students graduate with a $5,759 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($14,200 vs. $19,959)
  • UC Berkeley graduates are paying $60 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($146 vs. $206)
  • More UC Berkeley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 74%)

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