UCSC vs. Oxy

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

UCSC Oxy
Location Santa Cruz, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 19,478 1,942
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #72
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu oxy.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC Oxy
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $59,970
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $59,970
Room & Board $18,185 $17,330
Avg Net Price $17,975 $44,853
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $33,025
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 76%

Admission

UCSC Oxy
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 6,305
Admitted 30,926 2,484
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 39.4%
Enrolled % 12.5% 21.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.63
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low High
ACT Range 25/33 31/34
SAT Range 1160/1360 1370/1510
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 Jan 10, 2025

Academics

UCSC Oxy
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Social Sciences (32%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)

Outcomes

UCSC Oxy
Graduation Rate 73% 83%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $56,600
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $23,652
Median Loan Payment $206 $244

Diversity

UCSC Oxy
% Men 50% 41%
% Women 50% 59%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 49%
% Black 2% 5%
% Hispanic 31% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 9%
% International 4% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

UCSC Oxy
% In-State 90% 34%
% Out-of-State 7% 61%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Santa Cruz is larger than than Oxy based on total student enrollment (19,478 students vs. 1,942 students)

UCSC vs. Oxy Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Oxy?

  • Occidental College is 418.6% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($59,970.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 44% higher at Oxy than University of California Santa Cruz ($59,970.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than Oxy ($17,975 vs. $44,853)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Occidental College are 4.9% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($17,330 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Occidental College than University of California Santa Cruz (76% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Occidental College students is 55.8% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($33,025 vs. $21,202)

UCSC vs. Oxy Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Occidental College (1304) is 103 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming Oxy students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at UCSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman UCSC students have at the same average high school GPA (3.63) as students at Oxy (3.63)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (46.9%) than Oxy (39.4%)

UCSC vs. Oxy Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Oxy is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (83% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from Occidental College earn on average $6,200 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($56,600 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $3,693 lower median federal student loan debt than Oxy graduates. ($19,959 vs. $23,652)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $38 less per month on federal student loans than Oxy graduates. ($206 vs. $244)
  • More Oxy graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 74%)

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