UC Riverside vs. UCF

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

 UC Riverside UCF
Location Riverside, CA Orlando, FL
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 26,809 68,346
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #379
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu ucf.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Riverside UCF
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $4,478
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $19,810
Room & Board $17,333 $11,498
Avg Net Price $14,487 $13,108
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $9,986
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 93%

Admission

 UC Riverside UCF
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 54,977
Admitted 37,563 22,560
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 41%
Enrolled % 14.8% 33.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.64
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 22/31 25/29
SAT Range 1080/1280 1200/1360
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 May 1, 2025

Academics

 UC Riverside UCF
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 29:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering (5%)

Outcomes

 UC Riverside UCF
Graduation Rate 67% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $48,900
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $18,270
Median Loan Payment $197 $188

Diversity

 UC Riverside UCF
% Men 49% 45%
% Women 51% 55%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 13% 53%
% Black 4% 11%
% Hispanic 36% 24%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 UC Riverside UCF
% In-State 94% 91%
% Out-of-State 2% 9%

Campus

 UC Riverside UCF
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 Central Florida is larger than than UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (68,346 students vs. 26,809 students)

UC Riverside vs. UCF Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or UCF?

  • University of California Riverside is 158.2% more expensive to attend than UCF for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $4,478.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 110.2% higher at UC Riverside than University of Central Florida ($41,636.00 vs. $19,810.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Central Florida than UC Riverside ($13,108 vs. $14,487)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Central Florida are 50.7% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($11,498 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Central Florida than University of California Riverside (93% vs. 75%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 120.7% larger than aid received University of Central Florida ($22,042 vs. $9,986)

UC Riverside vs. UCF Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Central Florida (1179) is 60 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming UC Riverside students have at the same average ACT score (26) as students at UCF (26)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at UCF (3.64)
  • UC Riverside has a higher acceptance rate (68.7%) than UCF (41%)

UC Riverside vs. UCF Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UC Riverside is higher than University of Central Florida (67% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from University of California Riverside earn on average $3,300 more per year than UCF graduates after ten years. ($52,200 vs. $48,900)
  • University of Central Florida students graduate with a $839 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Riverside graduates. ($18,270 vs. $19,109)
  • UCF graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than UC Riverside graduates. ($188 vs. $197)
  • More UC Riverside graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCF students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 59%)

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