UCSC vs. IU

Should I go to University of California Santa Cruz or Indiana University Bloomington? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSC or IU 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. Indiana University Bloomington comparison
University of California Santa Cruz Indiana University Bloomington College 3 College 4
University of California Santa Cruz Indiana University Bloomington
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Overview

UCSC IU
Location Santa Cruz, CA Bloomington, IN
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 19,478 47,005
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #200
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu iub.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC IU
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $10,012
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $37,685
Room & Board $18,185 $12,228
Avg Net Price $17,975 $16,234
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $10,336
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 74%

Admission

UCSC IU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 50,080
Admitted 30,926 41,272
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 82.4%
Enrolled % 12.5% 23.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.74
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/33 27/32
SAT Range 1160/1360 1180/1400
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

Academics

UCSC IU
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Education (7%)

Outcomes

UCSC IU
Graduation Rate 73% 72%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $56,200
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 72%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $22,500
Median Loan Payment $206 $232

Diversity

UCSC IU
% Men 50% 51%
% Women 50% 49%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 33% 71%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 31% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 4%
% International 4% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

UCSC IU
% In-State 90% 51%
% Out-of-State 7% 42%

Campus

UCSC IU
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

  • Indiana University Bloomington is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (47,005 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. IU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or IU?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 15.5% more expensive to attend than IU for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $10,012.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 10.5% higher at UCSC than Indiana University Bloomington ($41,636.00 vs. $37,685.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Indiana University Bloomington than UCSC ($16,234 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Indiana University Bloomington are 48.7% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($12,228 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Indiana University Bloomington than University of California Santa Cruz (74% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 105.1% larger than aid received Indiana University Bloomington ($21,202 vs. $10,336)

UCSC vs. IU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 2 points higher than at IU (1199)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at IU (27)
  • Accepted freshman IU students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.74) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • IU has a higher acceptance rate (82.4%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. IU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or IU? 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 IU and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than Indiana University Bloomington (73% vs. 72%)
  • Graduates from Indiana University Bloomington earn on average $5,800 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($56,200 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $2,541 lower median federal student loan debt than IU graduates. ($19,959 vs. $22,500)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than IU graduates. ($206 vs. $232)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former IU students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 72%)

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