Add a college to compare up to four schools
Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison.
Harvard UC Riverside Caltech UCSB MIT UC Berkeley UCLA Duke UC Davis USC Yale Cal Poly| University of California Santa Cruz | Stanford University | College 3 | College 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|||
| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
UCSC | Stanford | ||
| Location | Santa Cruz, CA | Stanford, CA | ||
| Setting | Small City | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 19,478 | 18,283 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #222 | #2 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | ucsc.edu | stanford.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
UCSC | Stanford | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $11,564 | $57,693 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $41,636 | $57,693 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,185 | $18,619 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $17,975 | $18,279 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $21,202 | $60,619 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 68% | 53% |
Admission |
UCSC | Stanford | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 65,912 | 56,378 | ||
| Admitted | 30,926 | 2,075 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 46.9% | 3.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 12.5% | 83.7% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.63 | 3.96 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very High | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Low | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 25/33 | 33/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1160/1360 | 1500/1580 | ||
| 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 2, 2025 |
Academics |
UCSC | Stanford | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 23:1 | 5:1 | ||
| Popular Majors |
|
|
||
Outcomes |
UCSC | Stanford | ||
| Graduation Rate | 73% | 96% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $50,400 | $122,900 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 74% | 88% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $19,959 | $12,475 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $206 | $128 |
Diversity |
UCSC | Stanford | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 50% | 53% | ||
| % Women | 50% | 47% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 33% | 37% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 31% | 15% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 1% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 7% | 10% | ||
| % International | 4% | 9% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 0% |
Students |
UCSC | Stanford | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 90% | 35% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 7% | 48% | ||
Campus |
UCSC | Stanford | ||
| 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 Stanford based on total student enrollment (19,478 students vs. 18,283 students)
UCSC vs. Stanford Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Stanford?
- Stanford University is 398.9% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($57,693.00 vs. $11,564.00)
- Out of state tuition is 38.6% higher at Stanford than University of California Santa Cruz ($57,693.00 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 Stanford ($17,975 vs. $18,279)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Santa Cruz are 2.4% lower than costs at Stanford University ($18,185 vs. $18,619)
- More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than Stanford University (68% vs. 53%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Stanford University students is 185.9% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($60,619 vs. $21,202)
UCSC vs. Stanford Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, UCSC or Stanford? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Stanford or UCSC .
- The average SAT score at Stanford University (1479) is 278 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
- Incoming Stanford students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at UCSC (28)
- Accepted freshman Stanford students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at UCSC (3.63)
- UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (46.9%) than Stanford (3.7%)
UCSC vs. Stanford Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, UCSC or Stanford? 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 Stanford and UCSC.
- The graduation rate at Stanford is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (96% vs. 73%)
- Graduates from Stanford University earn on average $72,500 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($122,900 vs. $50,400)
- Stanford University students graduate with a $7,484 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($12,475 vs. $19,959)
- Stanford graduates are paying $78 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($128 vs. $206)
- More Stanford graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 74%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/