UCSC vs. Concordia University-Irvine

Should I go to University of California Santa Cruz or Concordia University Irvine? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSC or Concordia University-Irvine 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UC Riverside UCSB UC Davis Cal Poly San Jose State UC Merced San Diego State UCI UCSD SCU Cal State Long Beach USF
University of California Santa Cruz vs. Concordia University Irvine comparison
University of California Santa Cruz Concordia University Irvine College 3 College 4
University of California Santa Cruz Concordia University Irvine
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 UCSC Concordia University-Irvine
Location Santa Cruz, CA Irvine, CA
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 19,764 3,481
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #251 #466
Religious Affiliation - Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu cui.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSC Concordia University-Irvine
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $40,510
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $40,510
Room & Board $18,785 $13,330
Avg Net Price $16,526 $29,413
Avg Grant Aid $21,564 $26,988
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 100%

Admission

 UCSC Concordia University-Irvine
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 68,845 4,564
Admitted 43,054 2,732
Acceptance Rate 62.5% 59.9%
Enrolled % 10.2% 10.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.61
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/33 21/29
SAT Range 1160/1360 1030/1260
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

Academics

 UCSC Concordia University-Irvine
Student to Faculty Ratio 22:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (19%)
  • Health Professions (15%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

 UCSC Concordia University-Irvine
Graduation Rate 73% 51%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $48,300
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $22,678
Median Loan Payment $206 $234

Diversity

 UCSC Concordia University-Irvine
% Men 5% 20%
% Women 5% 38%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 45%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 31% 21%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 5%
% International 4% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 14%

Students

 UCSC Concordia University-Irvine
% In-State 91% 72%
% Out-of-State 7% 24%

Campus

 UCSC Concordia University-Irvine
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Santa Cruz is larger than than Concordia University-Irvine based on total student enrollment (19,764 students vs. 3,481 students)

UCSC vs. Concordia University-Irvine Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Concordia University-Irvine?

  • Concordia University Irvine is 242.3% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($40,510.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.2% higher at UCSC than Concordia University Irvine ($42,611.00 vs. $40,510.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than Concordia University-Irvine ($16,526 vs. $29,413)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Concordia University Irvine are 40.9% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($13,330 vs. $18,785)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Concordia University Irvine than University of California Santa Cruz (100% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Concordia University Irvine students is 25.2% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($26,988 vs. $21,564)

UCSC vs. Concordia University-Irvine Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCSC or Concordia University-Irvine? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Concordia University-Irvine or UCSC .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 172 points higher than at Concordia University-Irvine (1029)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Concordia University-Irvine (23)
  • Accepted freshman UCSC students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at Concordia University-Irvine (3.61)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (62.5%) than Concordia University-Irvine (59.9%)

UCSC vs. Concordia University-Irvine Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or Concordia University-Irvine? 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 Concordia University-Irvine and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than Concordia University Irvine (73% vs. 51%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Cruz earn on average $2,100 more per year than Concordia University-Irvine graduates after ten years. ($50,400 vs. $48,300)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $2,719 lower median federal student loan debt than Concordia University-Irvine graduates. ($19,959 vs. $22,678)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than Concordia University-Irvine graduates. ($206 vs. $234)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Concordia University-Irvine students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 70%)

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