UCSC vs. DUofC

Deciding between University of California Santa Cruz and Dominican University of California? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

University of California Santa Cruz
Dominican University of California

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • UCSC Santa Cruz, CA
  • DUofC San Rafael, CA
  • Setting
  • UCSC Small City
  • DUofC Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • UCSC 19,938
  • DUofC 1,900
  • Type
  • UCSC Public 4 Year
  • DUofC Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UCSC #255
  • DUofC #298
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UCSC -
  • DUofC -
  • Status
  • UCSC Non-profit
  • DUofC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UCSC
  • DUofC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UCSC $16,005
  • DUofC $52,161
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UCSC $50,205
  • DUofC $52,161
  • Room & Board
  • UCSC $19,948
  • DUofC $16,191
  • Average Net Price
  • UCSC $18,059
  • DUofC $37,456
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UCSC $22,774
  • DUofC $34,224
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UCSC 57%
  • DUofC 100%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UCSC 71,722
  • DUofC 2,006
  • Admitted
  • UCSC 47,186
  • DUofC 1,675
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UCSC 65.8%
  • DUofC 83.5%
  • Enrolled
  • UCSC 9.3%
  • DUofC 12.7%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UCSC 1260
  • DUofC 1260
  • Typical ACT score
  • UCSC 29
  • DUofC
  • Average High School GPA
  • UCSC 3.63
  • DUofC 3.66
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UCSC A-
  • DUofC A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • UCSC Very High
  • DUofC Challenging
  • Applicant Competition
  • UCSC Low
  • DUofC
  • ACT Range
  • UCSC 25/33
  • DUofC
  • SAT Range
  • UCSC 1160/1360
  • DUofC 1210/1300
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UCSC Test-free
  • DUofC Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • UCSC Nov 30, 2026
  • DUofC

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UCSC 22:1
  • DUofC 8:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UCSC
    • Social Sciences (17%)
    • Biology (14%)
    • Psychology (11%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
    • Business (9%)
  • DUofC
    • Health Professions (35%)
    • Business (13%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
    • Biology (10%)
    • Psychology (10%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UCSC 73%
  • DUofC 56%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UCSC $50,400
  • DUofC $58,400
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UCSC 74%
  • DUofC 71%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UCSC $19,959
  • DUofC $27,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UCSC $206
  • DUofC $279

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UCSC 48%
  • DUofC 29%
  • % Women
  • UCSC 52%
  • DUofC 71%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UCSC Very High
  • DUofC Very High
  • HBCU
  • UCSC No
  • DUofC No
  • % White
  • UCSC 33%
  • DUofC 37%
  • % Asian
  • UCSC 21%
  • DUofC 22%
  • % Black
  • UCSC 2%
  • DUofC 5%
  • % Hispanic
  • UCSC 31%
  • DUofC 20%
  • % Native American
  • UCSC 0%
  • DUofC 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UCSC 0%
  • DUofC 1%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UCSC 7%
  • DUofC 6%
  • % International
  • UCSC 4%
  • DUofC 2%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UCSC 2%
  • DUofC 6%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UCSC 92%
  • DUofC 82%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UCSC 5%
  • DUofC 16%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • UCSC Yes
  • DUofC Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • UCSC No
  • DUofC No
  • Meal Plan
  • UCSC Yes
  • DUofC Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • UCSC No
  • DUofC Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • UCSC Yes
  • DUofC No

Comparable Facts

Compare University of California Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, CA with Dominican University of California in San Rafael, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of California Santa Cruz is larger than DUofC based on total student enrollment (19,938 students vs. 1,900 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of California Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, CA (Small City setting); Dominican University of California is in San Rafael, CA (Small City setting).
  • University of California Santa Cruz is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Dominican University of California is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of California Santa Cruz 22:1; Dominican University of California 8:1.

UCSC vs. DUofC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or DUofC? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than DUofC ($18,059 vs. $37,456).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Dominican University of California are 18.8% lower than at University of California Santa Cruz ($16,191 vs. $19,948).
  • Dominican University of California is 225.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than UCSC (about $36,156 more per year; $52,161.00 vs. $16,005.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 3.9% higher at DUofC than at University of California Santa Cruz (about $1,956 more per year; $52,161.00 vs. $50,205.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Dominican University of California than at University of California Santa Cruz (100% vs. 57%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Dominican University of California students is 50.3% larger than aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students ($34,224 vs. $22,774).

UCSC vs. DUofC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCSC or DUofC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between DUofC and UCSC.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at University of California Santa Cruz (1260) is the same as at DUofC (1260).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Santa Cruz 1160/1360; Dominican University of California 1210/1300.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Santa Cruz 25/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UCSC - Test-free; DUofC - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UCSC Nov 30, 2026.
  • Accepted freshman DUofC students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at UCSC (3.63).
  • DUofC has a higher acceptance rate (83.5%) than UCSC (65.8%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 9.3% at UCSC vs. 12.7% at DUofC.

UCSC vs. DUofC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UCSC and DUofC? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • University of California Santa Cruz's six-year graduation rate (73%) is higher than Dominican University of California's (56%).
  • Graduates from Dominican University of California earn a median of about $8,000 more per year than UCSC graduates about ten years after starting college ($58,400 vs. $50,400), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of California Santa Cruz graduates have a $7,041 lower median loan debt than DUofC graduates ($19,959 vs. $27,000).
  • Among borrowers, UCSC graduates have an estimated $73 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than DUofC graduates ($206 vs. $279).
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former DUofC students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 71%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.