UCI vs. USAFA

Deciding between University of California Irvine and United States Air Force Academy? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

University of California Irvine
United States Air Force Academy

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • UCI Irvine, CA
  • USAFA USAF Academy, Colorado
  • Setting
  • UCI Rural Fringe
  • USAFA Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • UCI 37,297
  • USAFA 4,114
  • Type
  • UCI Public 4 Year
  • USAFA Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UCI #98
  • USAFA
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UCI -
  • USAFA -
  • Status
  • UCI Non-profit
  • USAFA Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UCI
  • USAFA

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UCI $15,722
  • USAFA $0
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UCI $49,922
  • USAFA $0
  • Room & Board
  • UCI $18,991
  • USAFA $0
  • Average Net Price
  • UCI $15,889
  • USAFA -
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UCI $23,110
  • USAFA $0
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UCI 55%
  • USAFA 0%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UCI 122,699
  • USAFA 10,187
  • Admitted
  • UCI 35,054
  • USAFA 1,435
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UCI 28.6%
  • USAFA 14.1%
  • Enrolled
  • UCI 19.2%
  • USAFA 78.5%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UCI 1330
  • USAFA 1340
  • Typical ACT score
  • UCI 29
  • USAFA 29
  • Average High School GPA
  • UCI 3.75
  • USAFA 3.81
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UCI A-
  • USAFA A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • UCI Very High
  • USAFA Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • UCI High
  • USAFA Very High
  • ACT Range
  • UCI 26/33
  • USAFA 26/33
  • SAT Range
  • UCI 1230/1430
  • USAFA 1230/1440
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UCI Test-free
  • USAFA Required
  • Application Deadline
  • UCI Nov 30, 2026
  • USAFA Dec 31, 2026

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UCI 19:1
  • USAFA 7:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UCI
    • Social Sciences (23%)
    • Biology (16%)
    • Psychology (11%)
    • Business (8%)
    • Engineering (8%)
  • USAFA
    • Engineering (35%)
    • Social Sciences (18%)
    • General Studies (14%)
    • Business (12%)
    • Biology (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UCI 85%
  • USAFA -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UCI $61,800
  • USAFA N/A
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UCI 76%
  • USAFA -
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UCI $17,000
  • USAFA N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UCI $175
  • USAFA N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UCI 45%
  • USAFA 70%
  • % Women
  • UCI 55%
  • USAFA 30%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UCI Very High
  • USAFA -
  • HBCU
  • UCI No
  • USAFA No
  • % White
  • UCI 15%
  • USAFA 0%
  • % Asian
  • UCI 37%
  • USAFA 0%
  • % Black
  • UCI 2%
  • USAFA 0%
  • % Hispanic
  • UCI 25%
  • USAFA 0%
  • % Native American
  • UCI 0%
  • USAFA 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UCI 0%
  • USAFA 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UCI 4%
  • USAFA 0%
  • % International
  • UCI 16%
  • USAFA 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UCI 1%
  • USAFA 0%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UCI 74%
  • USAFA 6%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UCI 7%
  • USAFA 91%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • UCI Yes
  • USAFA Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • UCI No
  • USAFA Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • UCI Yes
  • USAFA Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • UCI No
  • USAFA No
  • Daycare Facility
  • UCI Yes
  • USAFA No

Comparable Facts

Compare University of California Irvine in Irvine, CA with United States Air Force Academy in USAF Academy, Colorado on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of California Irvine is larger than USAFA based on total student enrollment (37,297 students vs. 4,114 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of California Irvine is located in Irvine, CA (Rural Fringe setting); United States Air Force Academy is in USAF Academy, Colorado (Large City setting).
  • University of California Irvine is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. United States Air Force Academy is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of California Irvine 19:1; United States Air Force Academy 7:1.

UCI vs. USAFA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or USAFA? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • In-state tuition differs between University of California Irvine and USAFA ($15,722.00 vs. $0.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition differs between UCI and United States Air Force Academy ($49,922.00 vs. $0.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of California Irvine than at United States Air Force Academy (55% vs. 0%).

UCI vs. USAFA Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCI or USAFA? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between USAFA and UCI.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at United States Air Force Academy (1340) is 10 points higher than at UCI (1330).
  • Incoming UCI students have the same typical ACT composite (median estimate; 29) as students at USAFA (29).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Irvine 1230/1430; United States Air Force Academy 1230/1440.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Irvine 26/33; United States Air Force Academy 26/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UCI - Test-free; USAFA - Required.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UCI Nov 30, 2026; USAFA Dec 31, 2026.
  • Accepted freshman USAFA students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at UCI (3.75).
  • UCI has a higher acceptance rate (28.6%) than USAFA (14.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 19.2% at UCI vs. 78.5% at USAFA.

UCI vs. USAFA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UCI and USAFA? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.