UC Riverside vs. Kentucky

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

 UC Riverside Kentucky
Location Riverside, CA Lexington, KY
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 26,809 31,547
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #408
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu uky.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Riverside Kentucky
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,496
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $30,913
Room & Board $17,333 $14,676
Avg Net Price $14,487 $18,693
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $14,114
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 94%

Admission

 UC Riverside Kentucky
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 22,109
Admitted 37,563 20,979
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 94.9%
Enrolled % 14.8% 28.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.59
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/31 21/28
SAT Range 1080/1280 1070/1290
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, 2024 Feb 15, 2025

Academics

 UC Riverside Kentucky
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (19%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)

Outcomes

 UC Riverside Kentucky
Graduation Rate 67% 59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $51,000
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 62%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $22,750
Median Loan Payment $197 $235

Diversity

 UC Riverside Kentucky
% Men 49% 40%
% Women 51% 60%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 13% 76%
% Black 4% 8%
% Hispanic 36% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

 UC Riverside Kentucky
% In-State 94% 61%
% Out-of-State 2% 37%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Kentucky is larger than than UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (31,547 students vs. 26,809 students)

UC Riverside vs. Kentucky Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or Kentucky?

  • University of California Riverside is 0.6% more expensive to attend than Kentucky for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,496.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 34.7% higher at UC Riverside than University of Kentucky ($41,636.00 vs. $30,913.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than Kentucky ($14,487 vs. $18,693)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Kentucky are 18.1% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($14,676 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Kentucky than University of California Riverside (94% vs. 75%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 56.2% larger than aid received University of Kentucky ($22,042 vs. $14,114)

UC Riverside vs. Kentucky Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Kentucky (1143) is 24 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming UC Riverside students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Kentucky (25)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.25 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at Kentucky (3.59)
  • Kentucky has a higher acceptance rate (94.9%) than UC Riverside (68.7%)

UC Riverside vs. Kentucky Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UC Riverside is higher than University of Kentucky (67% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from University of California Riverside earn on average $1,200 more per year than Kentucky graduates after ten years. ($52,200 vs. $51,000)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $3,641 lower median federal student loan debt than Kentucky graduates. ($19,109 vs. $22,750)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $38 less per month on federal student loans than Kentucky graduates. ($197 vs. $235)
  • More UC Riverside graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Kentucky students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 62%)

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