UC Riverside vs. KU

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

UC Riverside KU
Location Riverside, CA Lawrence, KS
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 26,426 28,406
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #265 #291
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu ku.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Riverside KU
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $10,596
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $28,308
Room & Board $19,433 $10,818
Avg Net Price $13,533 $18,322
Avg Grant Aid $21,566 $10,644
% Receiving Grant Aid 70% 89%

Admission

UC Riverside KU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 62,807 19,226
Admitted 39,758 16,958
Acceptance Rate 63.3% 88.2%
Enrolled % 13.9% 31%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.66
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/31 21/27
SAT Range 1080/1280 1050/1290
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, 2025 Aug 15, 2026

Academics

UC Riverside KU
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

UC Riverside KU
Graduation Rate 67% 61%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $54,600
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $197 $211

Diversity

UC Riverside KU
% Men 9% 11%
% Women 5% 16%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 13% 72%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 36% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5%
% International 4% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

UC Riverside KU
% In-State 95% 55%
% Out-of-State 1% 43%

Campus

UC Riverside KU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Kansas is larger than than UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (28,406 students vs. 26,426 students)

UC Riverside vs. KU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or KU?

  • University of California Riverside is 11.7% more expensive to attend than KU for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $10,596.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 50.5% higher at UC Riverside than University of Kansas ($42,611.00 vs. $28,308.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than KU ($13,533 vs. $18,322)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Kansas are 79.6% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($10,818 vs. $19,433)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Kansas than University of California Riverside (89% vs. 70%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 102.6% larger than aid received University of Kansas ($21,566 vs. $10,644)

UC Riverside vs. KU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Kansas (1145) is 26 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming UC Riverside students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at KU (25)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at KU (3.66)
  • KU has a higher acceptance rate (88.2%) than UC Riverside (63.3%)

UC Riverside vs. KU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UC Riverside is higher than University of Kansas (67% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from University of Kansas earn on average $2,400 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($54,600 vs. $52,200)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $1,391 lower median federal student loan debt than KU graduates. ($19,109 vs. $20,500)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $14 less per month on federal student loans than KU graduates. ($197 vs. $211)
  • More KU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 65%)

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