UC Riverside vs. K-State

Should I go to University of California Riverside or Kansas State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Riverside or K-State 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 Riverside vs. Kansas State University comparison
University of California Riverside Kansas State University College 3 College 4
University of California Riverside Kansas State University
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Overview

 UC Riverside K-State
Location Riverside, CA Manhattan, KS
Setting Large City Remote Town
Enrollment 26,426 19,745
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #265 #457
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu k-state.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Riverside K-State
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $9,964
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $26,838
Room & Board $19,433 $12,020
Avg Net Price $13,533 $18,745
Avg Grant Aid $21,566 $9,391
% Receiving Grant Aid 70% 90%

Admission

 UC Riverside K-State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 62,807 13,437
Admitted 39,758 10,663
Acceptance Rate 63.3% 79.4%
Enrolled % 13.9% 29.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.77
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/31 20/27
SAT Range 1080/1280 1040/1260
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

Academics

 UC Riverside K-State
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Agriculture (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Education (9%)

Outcomes

 UC Riverside K-State
Graduation Rate 67% 56%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $49,700
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $22,500
Median Loan Payment $197 $232

Diversity

 UC Riverside K-State
% Men 9% 9%
% Women 5% 14%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 13% 78%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 36% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 4% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 UC Riverside K-State
% In-State 95% 72%
% Out-of-State 1% 27%

Campus

 UC Riverside K-State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Riverside is larger than than K-State based on total student enrollment (26,426 students vs. 19,745 students)

UC Riverside vs. K-State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or K-State?

  • University of California Riverside is 18.8% more expensive to attend than K-State for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $9,964.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 58.8% higher at UC Riverside than Kansas State University ($42,611.00 vs. $26,838.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than K-State ($13,533 vs. $18,745)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Kansas State University are 61.7% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($12,020 vs. $19,433)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Kansas State University than University of California Riverside (90% vs. 70%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 129.6% larger than aid received Kansas State University ($21,566 vs. $9,391)

UC Riverside vs. K-State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at K-State (3.77)
  • K-State has a higher acceptance rate (79.4%) than UC Riverside (63.3%)

UC Riverside vs. K-State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside or K-State? 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 K-State and UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at UC Riverside is higher than Kansas State University (67% vs. 56%)
  • Graduates from University of California Riverside earn on average $2,500 more per year than K-State graduates after ten years. ($52,200 vs. $49,700)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $3,391 lower median federal student loan debt than K-State graduates. ($19,109 vs. $22,500)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than K-State graduates. ($197 vs. $232)
  • More K-State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 65%)

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