UCSC vs. San Diego State

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

UCSC San Diego State
Location Santa Cruz, CA San Diego, CA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 19,478 37,402
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #337
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu sdsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC San Diego State
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $17,622
Room & Board $18,185 $19,714
Avg Net Price $17,975 $13,017
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $9,934
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 43%

Admission

UCSC San Diego State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 77,250
Admitted 30,926 30,331
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 39.3%
Enrolled % 12.5% 21.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.82
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low High
ACT Range 25/33 22/29
SAT Range 1160/1360 1090/1300
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

UCSC San Diego State
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 25:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

UCSC San Diego State
Graduation Rate 73% 66%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $53,400
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $15,349
Median Loan Payment $206 $158

Diversity

UCSC San Diego State
% Men 50% 42%
% Women 50% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 34%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 31% 31%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 7%
% International 4% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 4%

Students

UCSC San Diego State
% In-State 90% 77%
% Out-of-State 7% 21%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • San Diego State University is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (37,402 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. San Diego State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or San Diego State?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 101.4% more expensive to attend than San Diego State for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 136.3% higher at UCSC than San Diego State University ($41,636.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Diego State University than UCSC ($13,017 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Cruz are 8.4% lower than costs at San Diego State University ($18,185 vs. $19,714)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than San Diego State University (68% vs. 43%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 113.4% larger than aid received San Diego State University ($21,202 vs. $9,934)

UCSC vs. San Diego State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 71 points higher than at San Diego State (1130)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at San Diego State (25)
  • Accepted freshman San Diego State students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (46.9%) than San Diego State (39.3%)

UCSC vs. San Diego State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or San Diego 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 San Diego State and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than San Diego State University (73% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from San Diego State University earn on average $3,000 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($53,400 vs. $50,400)
  • San Diego State University students graduate with a $4,610 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($15,349 vs. $19,959)
  • San Diego State graduates are paying $48 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($158 vs. $206)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Diego State students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 65%)

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