UCSC vs. John Paul the Great Catholic University

Deciding between University of California Santa Cruz and John Paul the Great Catholic University? 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
John Paul the Great Catholic University

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • UCSC Santa Cruz, CA
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University Escondido, CA
  • Setting
  • UCSC Small City
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • UCSC 19,938
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 286
  • Type
  • UCSC Public 4 Year
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UCSC #255
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UCSC -
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University Roman Catholic
  • Status
  • UCSC Non-profit
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UCSC
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UCSC $16,005
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University $30,265
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UCSC $50,205
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University $30,265
  • Room & Board
  • UCSC $19,948
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University $9,868
  • Average Net Price
  • UCSC $18,059
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University $35,175
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UCSC $22,774
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University $16,982
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UCSC 57%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 100%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UCSC 71,722
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 216
  • Admitted
  • UCSC 47,186
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 172
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UCSC 65.8%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 79.6% Open
  • Enrolled
  • UCSC 9.3%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 43% Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • UCSC 1260
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 1120
  • Typical ACT score
  • UCSC 29
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 24
  • Average High School GPA
  • UCSC 3.63
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 3.56
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UCSC A-
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • UCSC Very High
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University Average
  • Applicant Competition
  • UCSC Low
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University
  • ACT Range
  • UCSC 25/33
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 21/28
  • SAT Range
  • UCSC 1160/1360
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 975/1270
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UCSC Test-free
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • UCSC Nov 30, 2026
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UCSC 22:1
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 15:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UCSC
    • Social Sciences (17%)
    • Biology (14%)
    • Psychology (11%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
    • Business (9%)
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University
    • Visual and Performing Arts (44%)
    • Theology and Religious Vvocations (26%)
    • Business (26%)
    • Philosophy and Religious Studies (3%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UCSC 73%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UCSC $50,400
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University N/A
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UCSC 74%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University -
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UCSC $19,959
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University $25,750
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UCSC $206
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University $266

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UCSC 48%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 56%
  • % Women
  • UCSC 52%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 44%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UCSC Very High
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University Medium
  • HBCU
  • UCSC No
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University No
  • % White
  • UCSC 33%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 54%
  • % Asian
  • UCSC 21%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 4%
  • % Black
  • UCSC 2%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 2%
  • % Hispanic
  • UCSC 31%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 23%
  • % Native American
  • UCSC 0%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UCSC 0%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 1%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UCSC 7%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 3%
  • % International
  • UCSC 4%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UCSC 2%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 12%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UCSC 92%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 57%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UCSC 5%
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University 38%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • UCSC Yes
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • UCSC No
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University No
  • Meal Plan
  • UCSC Yes
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • UCSC No
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University No
  • Daycare Facility
  • UCSC Yes
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University No
  • Learn More
  • UCSC Details
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University Details

Comparable Facts

Compare University of California Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, CA with John Paul the Great Catholic University in Escondido, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of California Santa Cruz is larger than John Paul the Great Catholic University based on total student enrollment (19,938 students vs. 286 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of California Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, CA (Small City setting); John Paul the Great Catholic University is in Escondido, CA (Large City setting).
  • University of California Santa Cruz is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. John Paul the Great Catholic University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of California Santa Cruz 22:1; John Paul the Great Catholic University 15:1.

UCSC vs. John Paul the Great Catholic University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or John Paul the Great Catholic University? 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 John Paul the Great Catholic University ($18,059 vs. $35,175).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at John Paul the Great Catholic University are 50.5% lower than at University of California Santa Cruz ($9,868 vs. $19,948).
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University is 89.1% more expensive for in-state tuition than UCSC (about $14,260 more per year; $30,265.00 vs. $16,005.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 65.9% higher at UCSC than at John Paul the Great Catholic University (about $19,940 more per year; $50,205.00 vs. $30,265.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at John Paul the Great Catholic University than at University of California Santa Cruz (100% vs. 57%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 34.1% larger than aid received by John Paul the Great Catholic University students ($22,774 vs. $16,982).

UCSC vs. John Paul the Great Catholic University Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCSC or John Paul the Great Catholic University? 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 John Paul the Great Catholic University and UCSC.

  • John Paul the Great Catholic University reports an open admissions policy.
  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at University of California Santa Cruz (1260) is 140 points higher than at John Paul the Great Catholic University (1120).
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 5 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (29 vs. 24 at John Paul the Great Catholic University).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Santa Cruz 1160/1360; John Paul the Great Catholic University 975/1270.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: University of California Santa Cruz 25/33; John Paul the Great Catholic University 21/28.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UCSC - Test-free; John Paul the Great Catholic University - Open admission.
  • Typical fall application deadline: UCSC Nov 30, 2026.
  • Accepted freshman UCSC students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at John Paul the Great Catholic University (3.56).
  • John Paul the Great Catholic University has a higher acceptance rate (79.6%) than UCSC (65.8%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 9.3% at UCSC vs. 43% at John Paul the Great Catholic University.

UCSC vs. John Paul the Great Catholic University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UCSC and John Paul the Great Catholic University? 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).

  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of California Santa Cruz graduates have a $5,791 lower median loan debt than John Paul the Great Catholic University graduates ($19,959 vs. $25,750).
  • Among borrowers, UCSC graduates have an estimated $60 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than John Paul the Great Catholic University graduates ($206 vs. $266).

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.