UCSC vs. Texas A&M

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

UCSC Texas A&M
Location Santa Cruz, CA College Station, TX
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 19,478 74,014
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #115
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu tamu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC Texas A&M
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $9,339
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $36,239
Room & Board $18,185 $11,550
Avg Net Price $17,975 $20,375
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $12,278
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 59%

Admission

UCSC Texas A&M
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 43,422
Admitted 30,926 27,203
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 62.6%
Enrolled % 12.5% 45.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.68
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/33 25/31
SAT Range 1160/1360 1150/1390
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 Dec 1, 2024

Academics

UCSC Texas A&M
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Agriculture (10%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Biology (8%)

Outcomes

UCSC Texas A&M
Graduation Rate 73% 81%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $65,600
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 81%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $18,750
Median Loan Payment $206 $193

Diversity

UCSC Texas A&M
% Men 50% 53%
% Women 50% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 33% 65%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 31% 22%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

UCSC Texas A&M
% In-State 90% 93%
% Out-of-State 7% 6%

Campus

UCSC Texas A&M
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

  • Texas A&M University College Station is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (74,014 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. Texas A&M Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Texas A&M?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 23.8% more expensive to attend than Texas A&M for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $9,339.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.9% higher at UCSC than Texas A&M University College Station ($41,636.00 vs. $36,239.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than Texas A&M ($17,975 vs. $20,375)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Texas A&M University College Station are 57.4% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($11,550 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than Texas A&M University College Station (68% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 72.7% larger than aid received Texas A&M University College Station ($21,202 vs. $12,278)

UCSC vs. Texas A&M Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Texas A&M University College Station (1212) is 11 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming UCSC students have at the same average ACT score (28) as students at Texas A&M (28)
  • Accepted freshman Texas A&M students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.68) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • Texas A&M has a higher acceptance rate (62.6%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. Texas A&M Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or Texas A&M? 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 Texas A&M and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at Texas A&M is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (81% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from Texas A&M University College Station earn on average $15,200 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($65,600 vs. $50,400)
  • Texas A&M University College Station students graduate with a $1,209 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($18,750 vs. $19,959)
  • Texas A&M graduates are paying $13 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($193 vs. $206)
  • More Texas A&M graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 74%)

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