UCI vs. UOP

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

 UCI UOP
Location Irvine, CA Stockton, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 36,582 6,755
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #93 #172
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu pacific.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCI UOP
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $54,506
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $54,506
Room & Board $18,423 $16,688
Avg Net Price $14,647 $30,975
Avg Grant Aid $21,533 $38,314
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 98%

Admission

 UCI UOP
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 121,101 5,763
Admitted 30,962 5,467
Acceptance Rate 25.6% 94.9%
Enrolled % 21.9% 14.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.58
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 26/33 23/31
SAT Range 1230/1430 1160/1420
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, 2025 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 UCI UOP
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UCI UOP
Graduation Rate 85% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 $81,400
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $24,625
Median Loan Payment $175 $254

Diversity

 UCI UOP
% Men 10% 20%
% Women 10% 31%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 27%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 25% 18%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 16% 7%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

 UCI UOP
% In-State 77% 83%
% Out-of-State 8% 10%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Irvine is larger than than UOP based on total student enrollment (36,582 students vs. 6,755 students)

UCI vs. UOP Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or UOP?

  • University of the Pacific is 360.6% more expensive to attend than UCI for in-state tuition ($54,506.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 27.9% higher at UOP than University of California Irvine ($54,506.00 vs. $42,611.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Irvine than UOP ($14,647 vs. $30,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of the Pacific are 10.4% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($16,688 vs. $18,423)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of the Pacific than University of California Irvine (98% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of the Pacific students is 77.9% larger than aid received University of California Irvine ($38,314 vs. $21,533)

UCI vs. UOP Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Irvine (1175) is 23 points higher than at UOP (1152)
  • Incoming UCI students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at UOP (26)
  • Accepted freshman UCI students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at UOP (3.58)
  • UOP has a higher acceptance rate (94.9%) than UCI (25.6%)

UCI vs. UOP Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCI is higher than University of the Pacific (85% vs. 69%)
  • Graduates from University of the Pacific earn on average $19,600 more per year than UCI graduates after ten years. ($81,400 vs. $61,800)
  • University of California Irvine students graduate with a $7,625 lower median federal student loan debt than UOP graduates. ($17,000 vs. $24,625)
  • UCI graduates are paying $79 less per month on federal student loans than UOP graduates. ($175 vs. $254)
  • More UCI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UOP students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 70%)

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