UCSC vs. ISU

Should I go to University of California Santa Cruz or Iowa State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSC or ISU 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. 

Iowa UC Riverside UCSB UC Davis Cal Poly San Jose State UC Merced San Diego State UCI Michigan State Purdue Nebraska
University of California Santa Cruz vs. Iowa State University comparison
University of California Santa Cruz Iowa State University College 3 College 4
University of California Santa Cruz Iowa State University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 UCSC ISU
Location Santa Cruz, CA Ames, IA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 19,478 29,969
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #352
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu iastate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSC ISU
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $8,678
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $25,162
Room & Board $18,185 $9,358
Avg Net Price $17,975 $15,310
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $11,043
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 80%

Admission

 UCSC ISU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 21,919
Admitted 30,926 19,776
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 90.2%
Enrolled % 12.5% 29%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.7
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/33 21/28
SAT Range 1160/1360 1090/1350
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 ISU
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Communication (5%)

Outcomes

 UCSC ISU
Graduation Rate 73% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $53,700
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $23,868
Median Loan Payment $206 $246

Diversity

 UCSC ISU
% Men 50% 55%
% Women 50% 45%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 33% 76%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 31% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 2%
% International 4% 7%
% Unknown Race 2% 5%

Students

 UCSC ISU
% In-State 90% 52%
% Out-of-State 7% 45%

Campus

 UCSC ISU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Iowa State University is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (29,969 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. ISU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or ISU?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 33.3% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $8,678.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 65.5% higher at UCSC than Iowa State University ($41,636.00 vs. $25,162.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Iowa State University than UCSC ($15,310 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Iowa State University are 94.3% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($9,358 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Iowa State University than University of California Santa Cruz (80% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 92% larger than aid received Iowa State University ($21,202 vs. $11,043)

UCSC vs. ISU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 59 points higher than at ISU (1142)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at ISU (25)
  • Accepted freshman ISU students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • ISU has a higher acceptance rate (90.2%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. ISU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than Iowa State University (73% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from Iowa State University earn on average $3,300 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($53,700 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $3,909 lower median federal student loan debt than ISU graduates. ($19,959 vs. $23,868)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than ISU graduates. ($206 vs. $246)
  • More ISU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 74%)

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