UCSC vs. Penn State

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

 UCSC Penn State
Location Santa Cruz, CA University Park, PA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 19,764 50,399
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #251 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSC Penn State
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $39,626
Room & Board $18,785 $13,030
Avg Net Price $16,526 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $21,564 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 36%

Admission

 UCSC Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 68,845 85,956
Admitted 43,054 46,605
Acceptance Rate 62.5% 54.2%
Enrolled % 10.2% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/33 27/32
SAT Range 1160/1360 1220/1400
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, 2025

Academics

 UCSC Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 22:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UCSC Penn State
Graduation Rate 73% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $206 $277

Diversity

 UCSC Penn State
% Men 5% 8%
% Women 5% 8%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 33% 69%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 31% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 4% 11%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 UCSC Penn State
% In-State 91% 51%
% Out-of-State 7% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 19,764 students)

UCSC vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 66.2% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.5% higher at UCSC than Penn State Main Campus ($42,611.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than Penn State ($16,526 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 44.2% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($13,030 vs. $18,785)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than Penn State Main Campus (65% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 86.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($21,564 vs. $11,577)

UCSC vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 1 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Penn State (27)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (62.5%) than Penn State (54.2%)

UCSC vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or Penn State? 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 Penn State and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (87% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $4,900 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $6,859 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($19,959 vs. $26,818)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $71 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($206 vs. $277)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 69%)

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