UCI vs. CU Boulder

Should I go to University of California Irvine or University of Colorado Boulder? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCI or CU Boulder 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 Irvine vs. University of Colorado Boulder comparison
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University of California Irvine University of Colorado Boulder
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Overview

UCI CU Boulder
Location Irvine, CA Boulder, CO
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 35,937 39,585
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #91 #191
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu colorado.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCI CU Boulder
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,520
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $38,770
Room & Board $17,699 $16,146
Avg Net Price $14,033 $21,836
Avg Grant Aid $17,411 $10,477
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 57%

Admission

UCI CU Boulder
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 119,191 53,781
Admitted 25,212 43,416
Acceptance Rate 21.2% 80.7%
Enrolled % 22.5% 16.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.68
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 26/33 26/32
SAT Range 1230/1430 1160/1390
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

UCI CU Boulder
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

UCI CU Boulder
Graduation Rate 85% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 $56,900
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $175 $201

Diversity

UCI CU Boulder
% Men 45% 55%
% Women 55% 45%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 15% 71%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 25% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5%
% International 16% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

UCI CU Boulder
% In-State 81% 53%
% Out-of-State 7% 45%

Campus

UCI CU Boulder
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 Colorado Boulder is larger than than UCI based on total student enrollment (39,585 students vs. 35,937 students)

UCI vs. CU Boulder Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or CU Boulder?

  • University of California Irvine is 0.4% more expensive to attend than CU Boulder for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,520.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.4% higher at UCI than University of Colorado Boulder ($41,636.00 vs. $38,770.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Irvine than CU Boulder ($14,033 vs. $21,836)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Colorado Boulder are 9.6% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($16,146 vs. $17,699)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Irvine than University of Colorado Boulder (80% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Irvine students is 66.2% larger than aid received University of Colorado Boulder ($17,411 vs. $10,477)

UCI vs. CU Boulder Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Colorado Boulder (1212) is 37 points higher than at UCI (1175)
  • Incoming UCI students have at the same average ACT score (27) as students at CU Boulder (27)
  • Accepted freshman UCI students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at CU Boulder (3.68)
  • CU Boulder has a higher acceptance rate (80.7%) than UCI (21.2%)

UCI vs. CU Boulder Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCI or CU Boulder? 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 CU Boulder and UCI.

  • The graduation rate at UCI is higher than University of Colorado Boulder (85% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from University of California Irvine earn on average $4,900 more per year than CU Boulder graduates after ten years. ($61,800 vs. $56,900)
  • University of California Irvine students graduate with a $2,500 lower median federal student loan debt than CU Boulder graduates. ($17,000 vs. $19,500)
  • UCI graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than CU Boulder graduates. ($175 vs. $201)
  • More UCI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CU Boulder students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 73%)

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