UC Riverside vs. SCU

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

UC Riverside SCU
Location Riverside, CA Santa Clara, CA
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 26,809 9,178
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #62
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu scu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Riverside SCU
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $56,880
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $56,880
Room & Board $17,333 $17,112
Avg Net Price $14,487 $50,551
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $25,295
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 72%

Admission

UC Riverside SCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 16,650
Admitted 37,563 8,677
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 52.1%
Enrolled % 14.8% 18.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.67
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 22/31 29/33
SAT Range 1080/1280 1290/1480
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 7, 2025

Academics

UC Riverside SCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (33%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

UC Riverside SCU
Graduation Rate 67% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $81,900
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $197 $222

Diversity

UC Riverside SCU
% Men 49% 50%
% Women 51% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 13% 49%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 36% 17%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 7%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

UC Riverside SCU
% In-State 94% 50%
% Out-of-State 2% 40%

Campus

UC Riverside SCU
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

  • University of California Riverside is larger than than SCU based on total student enrollment (26,809 students vs. 9,178 students)

UC Riverside vs. SCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or SCU?

  • Santa Clara University is 391.9% more expensive to attend than UC Riverside for in-state tuition ($56,880.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.6% higher at SCU than University of California Riverside ($56,880.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than SCU ($14,487 vs. $50,551)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Clara University are 1.3% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($17,112 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Riverside than Santa Clara University (75% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Clara University students is 14.8% larger than aid received University of California Riverside ($25,295 vs. $22,042)

UC Riverside vs. SCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Santa Clara University (1313) is 194 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming SCU students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at UC Riverside (26)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at SCU (3.67)
  • UC Riverside has a higher acceptance rate (68.7%) than SCU (52.1%)

UC Riverside vs. SCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside or SCU? 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 SCU and UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at SCU is higher than University of California Riverside (85% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from Santa Clara University earn on average $29,700 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($81,900 vs. $52,200)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $2,391 lower median federal student loan debt than SCU graduates. ($19,109 vs. $21,500)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $25 less per month on federal student loans than SCU graduates. ($197 vs. $222)
  • More SCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 65%)

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