UCI vs. USF

Should I go to University of California Irvine or University of San Francisco? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCI or USF 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 San Francisco comparison
University of California Irvine University of San Francisco College 3 College 4
University of California Irvine University of San Francisco
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Overview

UCI USF
Location Irvine, CA San Francisco, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 35,937 9,688
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #91 #137
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu usfca.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCI USF
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $54,980
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $54,980
Room & Board $17,699 $16,550
Avg Net Price $14,033 $42,953
Avg Grant Aid $17,411 $30,916
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 96%

Admission

UCI USF
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 119,191 23,103
Admitted 25,212 16,444
Acceptance Rate 21.2% 71.2%
Enrolled % 22.5% 9.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.57
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 26/33 27/31
SAT Range 1230/1430 1210/1410
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 USF
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (5%)

Outcomes

UCI USF
Graduation Rate 85% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 $70,400
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $175 $258

Diversity

UCI USF
% Men 45% 35%
% Women 55% 65%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 27%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 25% 19%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 4% 7%
% International 16% 19%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

UCI USF
% In-State 81% 55%
% Out-of-State 7% 34%

Campus

UCI USF
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Irvine is larger than than USF based on total student enrollment (35,937 students vs. 9,688 students)

UCI vs. USF Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or USF?

  • University of San Francisco is 375.4% more expensive to attend than UCI for in-state tuition ($54,980.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 32% higher at USF than University of California Irvine ($54,980.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Irvine than USF ($14,033 vs. $42,953)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of San Francisco are 6.9% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($16,550 vs. $17,699)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of San Francisco than University of California Irvine (96% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Francisco students is 77.6% larger than aid received University of California Irvine ($30,916 vs. $17,411)

UCI vs. USF Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Irvine (1175) is 3 points higher than at USF (1172)
  • Incoming UCI students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at USF (26)
  • Accepted freshman UCI students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at USF (3.57)
  • USF has a higher acceptance rate (71.2%) than UCI (21.2%)

UCI vs. USF Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCI or USF? 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 USF and UCI.

  • The graduation rate at UCI is higher than University of San Francisco (85% vs. 70%)
  • Graduates from University of San Francisco earn on average $8,600 more per year than UCI graduates after ten years. ($70,400 vs. $61,800)
  • University of California Irvine students graduate with a $8,000 lower median federal student loan debt than USF graduates. ($17,000 vs. $25,000)
  • UCI graduates are paying $83 less per month on federal student loans than USF graduates. ($175 vs. $258)
  • More UCI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USF 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/