UC Riverside vs. CU Boulder

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

UC Riverside CU Boulder
Location Riverside, CA Boulder, CO
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 26,809 39,585
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #191
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu colorado.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Riverside CU Boulder
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,520
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $38,770
Room & Board $17,333 $16,146
Avg Net Price $14,487 $21,836
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $10,477
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 57%

Admission

UC Riverside CU Boulder
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 53,781
Admitted 37,563 43,416
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 80.7%
Enrolled % 14.8% 16.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.68
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/31 26/32
SAT Range 1080/1280 1160/1390
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 15, 2025

Academics

UC Riverside CU Boulder
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

UC Riverside CU Boulder
Graduation Rate 67% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $56,900
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $197 $201

Diversity

UC Riverside CU Boulder
% Men 49% 55%
% Women 51% 45%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 13% 71%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 36% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5%
% International 4% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

UC Riverside CU Boulder
% In-State 94% 53%
% Out-of-State 2% 45%

Campus

UC Riverside CU Boulder
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 Colorado Boulder is larger than than UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (39,585 students vs. 26,809 students)

UC Riverside vs. CU Boulder Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or CU Boulder?

  • University of California Riverside is 0.4% more expensive to attend than CU Boulder for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,520.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.4% higher at UC Riverside than University of Colorado Boulder ($41,636.00 vs. $38,770.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than CU Boulder ($14,487 vs. $21,836)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Colorado Boulder are 7.4% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($16,146 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Riverside than University of Colorado Boulder (75% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 110.4% larger than aid received University of Colorado Boulder ($22,042 vs. $10,477)

UC Riverside vs. CU Boulder Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Colorado Boulder (1212) is 93 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming CU Boulder students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at UC Riverside (26)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at CU Boulder (3.68)
  • CU Boulder has a higher acceptance rate (80.7%) than UC Riverside (68.7%)

UC Riverside vs. CU Boulder Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside or CU Boulder? 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 CU Boulder and UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at CU Boulder is higher than University of California Riverside (68% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from University of Colorado Boulder earn on average $4,700 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($56,900 vs. $52,200)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $391 lower median federal student loan debt than CU Boulder graduates. ($19,109 vs. $19,500)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than CU Boulder graduates. ($197 vs. $201)
  • More CU Boulder graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 65%)

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