UCSC vs. CU Boulder

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

UCSC CU Boulder
Location Santa Cruz, CA Boulder, CO
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 19,478 39,585
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #191
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu colorado.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC CU Boulder
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $11,520
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $38,770
Room & Board $18,185 $16,146
Avg Net Price $17,975 $21,836
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $10,477
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 57%

Admission

UCSC CU Boulder
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 53,781
Admitted 30,926 43,416
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 80.7%
Enrolled % 12.5% 16.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.68
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/33 26/32
SAT Range 1160/1360 1160/1390
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 15, 2025

Academics

UCSC CU Boulder
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

UCSC CU Boulder
Graduation Rate 73% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $56,900
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $206 $201

Diversity

UCSC CU Boulder
% Men 50% 55%
% Women 50% 45%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 33% 71%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 31% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 5%
% International 4% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

UCSC CU Boulder
% In-State 90% 53%
% Out-of-State 7% 45%

Campus

UCSC CU Boulder
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 Colorado Boulder is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (39,585 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. CU Boulder Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or CU Boulder?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 0.4% more expensive to attend than CU Boulder for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $11,520.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.4% higher at UCSC than University of Colorado Boulder ($41,636.00 vs. $38,770.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than CU Boulder ($17,975 vs. $21,836)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Colorado Boulder are 12.6% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($16,146 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than University of Colorado Boulder (68% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 102.4% larger than aid received University of Colorado Boulder ($21,202 vs. $10,477)

UCSC vs. CU Boulder Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Colorado Boulder (1212) is 11 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at CU Boulder (27)
  • Accepted freshman CU Boulder students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.68) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • CU Boulder has a higher acceptance rate (80.7%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. CU Boulder Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or CU Boulder? 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 CU Boulder and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than University of Colorado Boulder (73% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from University of Colorado Boulder earn on average $6,500 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($56,900 vs. $50,400)
  • University of Colorado Boulder students graduate with a $459 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($19,500 vs. $19,959)
  • CU Boulder graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($201 vs. $206)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CU Boulder students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 73%)

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