UCSC vs. CSUMB

Should I go to University of California Santa Cruz or California State University Monterey Bay? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSC or CSUMB 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 Santa Cruz vs. California State University Monterey Bay comparison
University of California Santa Cruz California State University Monterey Bay College 3 College 4
University of California Santa Cruz California State University Monterey Bay
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Overview

UCSC CSUMB
Location Santa Cruz, CA Seaside, CA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 19,478 7,045
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #861
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu csumb.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC CSUMB
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $17,622
Room & Board $18,185 $16,262
Avg Net Price $17,975 $11,435
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $8,702
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 66%

Admission

UCSC CSUMB
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 12,568
Admitted 30,926 11,611
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 92.4%
Enrolled % 12.5% 7.8%
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, 2024 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

UCSC CSUMB
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)

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 50% 38%
% Women 50% 62%
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 90% 96%
% Out-of-State 7% 2%

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 (19,478 students vs. 7,045 students)

UCSC vs. CSUMB Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or CSUMB?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 101.4% more expensive to attend than CSUMB for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 136.3% higher at UCSC than California State University Monterey Bay ($41,636.00 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 ($11,435 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Monterey Bay are 11.8% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($16,262 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than California State University Monterey Bay (68% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 143.6% larger than aid received California State University Monterey Bay ($21,202 vs. $8,702)

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 (92.4%) than UCSC (46.9%)

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/