UCSC vs. Scripps College

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

UCSC Scripps College
Location Santa Cruz, CA Claremont, CA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 19,764 1,103
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #251 #53
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu scrippscollege.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC Scripps College
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $63,216
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $63,216
Room & Board $18,785 $20,998
Avg Net Price $16,526 $45,505
Avg Grant Aid $21,564 $37,825
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 55%

Admission

UCSC Scripps College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 68,845 3,082
Admitted 43,054 1,046
Acceptance Rate 62.5% 33.9%
Enrolled % 10.2% 26.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 4.0
Typical High School Grades B+ A/A+
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low High
ACT Range 25/33 32/34
SAT Range 1160/1360 1420/1530
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 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

UCSC Scripps College
Student to Faculty Ratio 22:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Ethnic Studies (15%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)

Outcomes

UCSC Scripps College
Graduation Rate 73% 88%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $59,300
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 91%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $14,000
Median Loan Payment $206 $144

Diversity

UCSC Scripps College
% Men 5% 1%
% Women 5% 1%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 48%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 31% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 8%
% International 4% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 8%

Students

UCSC Scripps College
% In-State 91% 30%
% Out-of-State 7% 65%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Santa Cruz is larger than than Scripps College based on total student enrollment (19,764 students vs. 1,103 students)

UCSC vs. Scripps College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Scripps College?

  • Scripps College is 434.2% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($63,216.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 48.4% higher at Scripps College than University of California Santa Cruz ($63,216.00 vs. $42,611.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than Scripps College ($16,526 vs. $45,505)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Cruz are 11.8% lower than costs at Scripps College ($18,785 vs. $20,998)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than Scripps College (65% vs. 55%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Scripps College students is 75.4% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($37,825 vs. $21,564)

UCSC vs. Scripps College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Scripps College (1362) is 161 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming Scripps College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UCSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman Scripps College students have a 0.37 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (62.5%) than Scripps College (33.9%)

UCSC vs. Scripps College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or Scripps College? 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 Scripps College and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at Scripps College is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (88% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from Scripps College earn on average $8,900 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($59,300 vs. $50,400)
  • Scripps College students graduate with a $5,959 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($14,000 vs. $19,959)
  • Scripps College graduates are paying $62 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($144 vs. $206)
  • More Scripps College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 74%)

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