UCSC vs. UIC

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

UCSC UIC
Location Santa Cruz, CA Chicago, IL
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 19,478 33,747
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #234
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu uic.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC UIC
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $10,970
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $25,578
Room & Board $18,185 $14,400
Avg Net Price $17,975 $10,384
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $13,813
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 73%

Admission

UCSC UIC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 23,562
Admitted 30,926 18,541
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 78.7%
Enrolled % 12.5% 22.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.41
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/33 24/30
SAT Range 1160/1360 1110/1340
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 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

UCSC UIC
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 (16%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

UCSC UIC
Graduation Rate 73% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $61,900
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 68%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $18,750
Median Loan Payment $206 $193

Diversity

UCSC UIC
% Men 50% 44%
% Women 50% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 34%
% Black 2% 8%
% Hispanic 31% 28%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

UCSC UIC
% In-State 90% 88%
% Out-of-State 7% 5%

Campus

UCSC UIC
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 Illinois at Chicago is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (33,747 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. UIC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or UIC?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 5.4% more expensive to attend than UIC for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $10,970.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 62.8% higher at UCSC than University of Illinois at Chicago ($41,636.00 vs. $25,578.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Illinois at Chicago than UCSC ($10,384 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Illinois at Chicago are 26.3% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($14,400 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Illinois at Chicago than University of California Santa Cruz (73% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 53.5% larger than aid received University of Illinois at Chicago ($21,202 vs. $13,813)

UCSC vs. UIC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 109 points higher than at UIC (1092)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at UIC (24)
  • Accepted freshman UCSC students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at UIC (3.41)
  • UIC has a higher acceptance rate (78.7%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. UIC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than University of Illinois at Chicago (73% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from University of Illinois at Chicago earn on average $11,500 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($61,900 vs. $50,400)
  • University of Illinois at Chicago students graduate with a $1,209 lower median federal student loan debt than UCSC graduates. ($18,750 vs. $19,959)
  • UIC graduates are paying $13 less per month on federal student loans than UCSC graduates. ($193 vs. $206)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UIC students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 68%)

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