UC Riverside vs. WSU

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

UC Riverside WSU
Location Riverside, CA Detroit, MI
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 26,809 23,630
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #582
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu wayne.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Riverside WSU
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $12,933
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $29,622
Room & Board $17,333 $11,321
Avg Net Price $14,487 $15,347
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $10,605
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 96%

Admission

UC Riverside WSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 14,002
Admitted 37,563 10,547
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 75.3%
Enrolled % 14.8% 24.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.42
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/31 21/28
SAT Range 1080/1280 1040/1260
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 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

UC Riverside WSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Biology (7%)

Outcomes

UC Riverside WSU
Graduation Rate 67% 26%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $51,000
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 38%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $22,258
Median Loan Payment $197 $230

Diversity

UC Riverside WSU
% Men 49% 40%
% Women 51% 60%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 13% 57%
% Black 4% 19%
% Hispanic 36% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

UC Riverside WSU
% In-State 94% 93%
% Out-of-State 2% 3%

Campus

UC Riverside WSU
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 California Riverside is larger than than WSU based on total student enrollment (26,809 students vs. 23,630 students)

UC Riverside vs. WSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or WSU?

  • Wayne State University is 11.8% more expensive to attend than UC Riverside for in-state tuition ($12,933.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 40.6% higher at UC Riverside than Wayne State University ($41,636.00 vs. $29,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than WSU ($14,487 vs. $15,347)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wayne State University are 53.1% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($11,321 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wayne State University than University of California Riverside (96% vs. 75%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 107.8% larger than aid received Wayne State University ($22,042 vs. $10,605)

UC Riverside vs. WSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Riverside (1119) is 49 points higher than at WSU (1070)
  • Incoming UC Riverside students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at WSU (23)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.42 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at WSU (3.42)
  • WSU has a higher acceptance rate (75.3%) than UC Riverside (68.7%)

UC Riverside vs. WSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UC Riverside is higher than Wayne State University (67% vs. 26%)
  • Graduates from University of California Riverside earn on average $1,200 more per year than WSU graduates after ten years. ($52,200 vs. $51,000)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $3,149 lower median federal student loan debt than WSU graduates. ($19,109 vs. $22,258)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $33 less per month on federal student loans than WSU graduates. ($197 vs. $230)
  • More UC Riverside graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WSU students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 38%)

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