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UC Riverside UCSB UC Davis Cal Poly San Jose State UC Merced San Diego State UCI UCSD SCU Cal State Long Beach Sonoma State University| University of California Santa Cruz | California State University Monterey Bay | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
UCSC | CSUMB | ||
| Location | Santa Cruz, CA | Seaside, CA | ||
| Setting | Small City | Rural Fringe | ||
| Enrollment | 19,764 | 6,742 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #251 | #835 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | ucsc.edu | csumb.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
UCSC | CSUMB | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $11,834 | $5,742 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $42,611 | $17,622 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,785 | $16,413 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $16,526 | $15,222 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $21,564 | $10,480 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 65% | 73% |
Admission |
UCSC | CSUMB | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 68,845 | 11,769 | ||
| Admitted | 43,054 | 11,160 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 62.5% | 94.8% | ||
| Enrolled % | 10.2% | 8.4% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.63 | 3.45 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very High | Very Easy | ||
| Applicant Competition | Low | |||
| ACT Range | 25/33 | 17/23 | ||
| SAT Range | 1160/1360 | 960/1160 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | ||
| Application Deadline | Nov 30, 2025 | Jan 15, 2026 |
Academics |
UCSC | CSUMB | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 22:1 | 16:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
UCSC | CSUMB | ||
| Graduation Rate | 73% | 38% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $50,400 | $45,300 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 74% | 66% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $19,959 | $14,000 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $206 | $144 |
Diversity |
UCSC | CSUMB | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 5% | 3% | ||
| % Women | 5% | 9% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 33% | 31% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 31% | 43% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 7% | 7% | ||
| % International | 4% | 2% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 5% |
Students |
UCSC | CSUMB | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 91% | 93% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 7% | 5% | ||
Campus |
UCSC | CSUMB | ||
| 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 California Santa Cruz is larger than than CSUMB based on total student enrollment (19,764 students vs. 6,742 students)
UCSC vs. CSUMB Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, UCSC or CSUMB?
- University of California Santa Cruz is 106.1% more expensive to attend than CSUMB for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $5,742.00)
- Out of state tuition is 141.8% higher at UCSC than California State University Monterey Bay ($42,611.00 vs. $17,622.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Monterey Bay than UCSC ($15,222 vs. $16,526)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Monterey Bay are 14.5% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($16,413 vs. $18,785)
- More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Monterey Bay than University of California Santa Cruz (73% vs. 65%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 105.8% larger than aid received California State University Monterey Bay ($21,564 vs. $10,480)
UCSC vs. CSUMB Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, UCSC or CSUMB? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between CSUMB or UCSC .
- Accepted freshman UCSC students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at CSUMB (3.45)
- CSUMB has a higher acceptance rate (94.8%) than UCSC (62.5%)
UCSC vs. CSUMB Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, UCSC or CSUMB? 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 CSUMB and UCSC.
- The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than California State University Monterey Bay (73% vs. 38%)
- Graduates from University of California Santa Cruz earn on average $5,100 more per year than CSUMB graduates after ten years. ($50,400 vs. $45,300)
- California State University Monterey Bay students graduate with a $5,959 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($14,000 vs. $19,959)
- CSUMB graduates are paying $62 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($144 vs. $206)
- More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CSUMB students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 66%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/