UC Riverside vs. San Diego State

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

UC Riverside San Diego State
Location Riverside, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 26,809 37,402
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #337
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu sdsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Riverside San Diego State
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $17,622
Room & Board $17,333 $19,714
Avg Net Price $14,487 $13,017
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $9,934
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 43%

Admission

UC Riverside San Diego State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 77,250
Admitted 37,563 30,331
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 39.3%
Enrolled % 14.8% 21.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.82
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low High
ACT Range 22/31 22/29
SAT Range 1080/1280 1090/1300
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

UC Riverside San Diego State
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 25:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

UC Riverside San Diego State
Graduation Rate 67% 66%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $53,400
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $15,349
Median Loan Payment $197 $158

Diversity

UC Riverside San Diego State
% Men 49% 42%
% Women 51% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 13% 34%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 36% 31%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 7%
% International 4% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

UC Riverside San Diego State
% In-State 94% 77%
% Out-of-State 2% 21%

Campus

UC Riverside San Diego State
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

  • San Diego State University is larger than than UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (37,402 students vs. 26,809 students)

UC Riverside vs. San Diego State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or San Diego State?

  • University of California Riverside is 101.4% more expensive to attend than San Diego State for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 136.3% higher at UC Riverside than San Diego State University ($41,636.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Diego State University than UC Riverside ($13,017 vs. $14,487)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Riverside are 13.7% lower than costs at San Diego State University ($17,333 vs. $19,714)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Riverside than San Diego State University (75% vs. 43%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 121.9% larger than aid received San Diego State University ($22,042 vs. $9,934)

UC Riverside vs. San Diego State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at San Diego State University (1130) is 11 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming UC Riverside students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at San Diego State (25)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at San Diego State (3.82)
  • UC Riverside has a higher acceptance rate (68.7%) than San Diego State (39.3%)

UC Riverside vs. San Diego State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside or San Diego 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 San Diego State and UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at UC Riverside is higher than San Diego State University (67% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from San Diego State University earn on average $1,200 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($53,400 vs. $52,200)
  • San Diego State University students graduate with a $3,760 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Riverside graduates. ($15,349 vs. $19,109)
  • San Diego State graduates are paying $39 less per month on federal student loans than UC Riverside graduates. ($158 vs. $197)
  • More San Diego State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 65%)

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