UCSC vs. SCU

Should I go to University of California Santa Cruz or Santa Clara University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSC or SCU 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UC Riverside Loyola Marymount UCSB UC Davis Cal Poly San Jose State UC Merced San Diego State UCI USD Oxy UCSD
University of California Santa Cruz vs. Santa Clara University comparison
University of California Santa Cruz Santa Clara University College 3 College 4
University of California Santa Cruz Santa Clara University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 UCSC SCU
Location Santa Cruz, CA Santa Clara, CA
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 19,478 9,178
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #62
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu scu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSC SCU
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $56,880
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $56,880
Room & Board $18,185 $17,112
Avg Net Price $17,975 $50,551
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $25,295
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 72%

Admission

 UCSC SCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 16,650
Admitted 30,926 8,677
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 52.1%
Enrolled % 12.5% 18.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.67
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/33 29/33
SAT Range 1160/1360 1290/1480
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 7, 2025

Academics

 UCSC SCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (33%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

 UCSC SCU
Graduation Rate 73% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $81,900
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $206 $222

Diversity

 UCSC SCU
% Men 50% 50%
% Women 50% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 49%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 31% 17%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 7%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 4%

Students

 UCSC SCU
% In-State 90% 50%
% Out-of-State 7% 40%

Campus

 UCSC SCU
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

  • University of California Santa Cruz is larger than than SCU based on total student enrollment (19,478 students vs. 9,178 students)

UCSC vs. SCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or SCU?

  • Santa Clara University is 391.9% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($56,880.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.6% higher at SCU than University of California Santa Cruz ($56,880.00 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 SCU ($17,975 vs. $50,551)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Clara University are 6.3% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($17,112 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Santa Clara University than University of California Santa Cruz (72% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Santa Clara University students is 19.3% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($25,295 vs. $21,202)

UCSC vs. SCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Santa Clara University (1313) is 112 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming SCU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at UCSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman SCU students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.67) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • SCU has a higher acceptance rate (52.1%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. SCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at SCU is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (85% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from Santa Clara University earn on average $31,500 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($81,900 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $1,541 lower median federal student loan debt than SCU graduates. ($19,959 vs. $21,500)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than SCU graduates. ($206 vs. $222)
  • More SCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 74%)

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