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USD UCSD UCSC UC Merced Cal State Fullerton Cal Poly UCI Cal State Long Beach San Jose State San Francisco State ASU UCSB| University of California Riverside | San Diego State University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
UC Riverside | San Diego State | ||
| Location | Riverside, CA | San Diego, CA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 26,426 | 39,241 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #265 | #337 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | ucr.edu | sdsu.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
UC Riverside | San Diego State | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $11,834 | $5,742 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $42,611 | $17,622 | ||
| Room & Board | $19,433 | $21,630 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $13,533 | $19,500 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $21,566 | $5,459 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 70% | 94% |
Admission |
UC Riverside | San Diego State | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 62,807 | 82,800 | ||
| Admitted | 39,758 | 28,517 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 63.3% | 34.4% | ||
| Enrolled % | 13.9% | 21.6% | ||
| 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, 2025 | Nov 30, 2025 |
Academics |
UC Riverside | San Diego State | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 23:1 | 22:1 | ||
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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 | 9% | 5% | ||
| % Women | 5% | 8% | ||
| 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 | 95% | 75% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 1% | 23% | ||
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 (39,241 students vs. 26,426 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 106.1% more expensive to attend than San Diego State for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $5,742.00)
- Out of state tuition is 141.8% higher at UC Riverside than San Diego State University ($42,611.00 vs. $17,622.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than San Diego State ($13,533 vs. $19,500)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Riverside are 11.3% lower than costs at San Diego State University ($19,433 vs. $21,630)
- More students receive financial grant aid at San Diego State University than University of California Riverside (94% vs. 70%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 295.1% larger than aid received San Diego State University ($21,566 vs. $5,459)
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 (63.3%) than San Diego State (34.4%)
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/