UCSC vs. UCF

Should I go to University of California Santa Cruz or University of Central Florida? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSC or UCF 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. 

Florida State USF Main Campus UC Riverside FIU FAU UCSB Florida UC Davis Cal Poly San Jose State UC Merced San Diego State
University of California Santa Cruz vs. University of Central Florida comparison
University of California Santa Cruz University of Central Florida College 3 College 4
University of California Santa Cruz University of Central Florida
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 UCSC UCF
Location Santa Cruz, CA Orlando, FL
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 19,478 68,346
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #379
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu ucf.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSC UCF
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $4,478
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $19,810
Room & Board $18,185 $11,498
Avg Net Price $17,975 $13,108
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $9,986
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 93%

Admission

 UCSC UCF
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 54,977
Admitted 30,926 22,560
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 41%
Enrolled % 12.5% 33.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.64
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/33 25/29
SAT Range 1160/1360 1200/1360
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 May 1, 2025

Academics

 UCSC UCF
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 29:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering (5%)

Outcomes

 UCSC UCF
Graduation Rate 73% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $48,900
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $18,270
Median Loan Payment $206 $188

Diversity

 UCSC UCF
% Men 50% 45%
% Women 50% 55%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 53%
% Black 2% 11%
% Hispanic 31% 24%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 4%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 UCSC UCF
% In-State 90% 91%
% Out-of-State 7% 9%

Campus

 UCSC UCF
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 Central Florida is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (68,346 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. UCF Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or UCF?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 158.2% more expensive to attend than UCF for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $4,478.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 110.2% higher at UCSC than University of Central Florida ($41,636.00 vs. $19,810.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Central Florida than UCSC ($13,108 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Central Florida are 58.2% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($11,498 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Central Florida than University of California Santa Cruz (93% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 112.3% larger than aid received University of Central Florida ($21,202 vs. $9,986)

UCSC vs. UCF Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 22 points higher than at UCF (1179)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at UCF (26)
  • Accepted freshman UCF students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.64) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (46.9%) than UCF (41%)

UCSC vs. UCF Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than University of Central Florida (73% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Cruz earn on average $1,500 more per year than UCF graduates after ten years. ($50,400 vs. $48,900)
  • University of Central Florida students graduate with a $1,689 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($18,270 vs. $19,959)
  • UCF graduates are paying $18 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($188 vs. $206)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCF students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 59%)

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