UCSC vs. John Paul the Great Catholic University

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

UCSC John Paul the Great Catholic University
Location Santa Cruz, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 19,764 298
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #251
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu jpcatholic.com
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC John Paul the Great Catholic University
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $28,500
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $28,500
Room & Board $18,785 $15,099
Avg Net Price $16,526 $31,811
Avg Grant Aid $21,564 $15,709
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 98%

Admission

UCSC John Paul the Great Catholic University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 68,845 280
Admitted 43,054 222
Acceptance Rate 62.5% 79.3%Open
Enrolled % 10.2% 33.8%Open
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.56
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/33 21/27
SAT Range 1160/1360 1090/1260
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, 2025

Academics

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

Outcomes

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

Diversity

UCSC John Paul the Great Catholic University
% Men 5% 0%
% Women 5% 0%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 54%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 31% 23%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 12%

Students

UCSC John Paul the Great Catholic University
% In-State 91% 49%
% Out-of-State 7% 43%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Santa Cruz is larger than than John Paul the Great Catholic University based on total student enrollment (19,764 students vs. 298 students)

UCSC vs. John Paul the Great Catholic University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or John Paul the Great Catholic University?

  • John Paul the Great Catholic University is 140.8% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($28,500.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 49.5% higher at UCSC than John Paul the Great Catholic University ($42,611.00 vs. $28,500.00)
  • 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 ($16,526 vs. $31,811)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at John Paul the Great Catholic University are 24.4% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($15,099 vs. $18,785)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at John Paul the Great Catholic University than University of California Santa Cruz (98% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 37.3% larger than aid received John Paul the Great Catholic University ($21,564 vs. $15,709)

UCSC vs. John Paul the Great Catholic University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 95 points higher than at John Paul the Great Catholic University (1106)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at John Paul the Great Catholic University (25)
  • 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 (79.3%) than UCSC (62.5%)

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

Which is better, UCSC or John Paul the Great Catholic University? 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 John Paul the Great Catholic University and UCSC.

  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $5,791 lower median federal student loan debt than John Paul the Great Catholic University graduates. ($19,959 vs. $25,750)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $60 less per month on federal student loans 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/