UCSC vs. Illinois

Should I go to University of California Santa Cruz or University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSC or Illinois 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. 

UC Riverside Wisconsin UCSB Purdue ISU UC Davis Cal Poly Michigan San Jose State UC Merced San Diego State UCI
University of California Santa Cruz vs. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign comparison
University of California Santa Cruz University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign College 3 College 4
University of California Santa Cruz University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

UCSC Illinois
Location Santa Cruz, CA Champaign, IL
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 19,478 56,916
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #106
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu illinois.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC Illinois
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $12,474
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $30,446
Room & Board $18,185 $12,720
Avg Net Price $17,975 $14,544
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $16,552
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 54%

Admission

UCSC Illinois
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 63,257
Admitted 30,926 28,354
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 44.8%
Enrolled % 12.5% 28.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.79
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/33 29/34
SAT Range 1160/1360 1320/1510
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 5, 2025

Academics

UCSC Illinois
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Engineering (16%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

UCSC Illinois
Graduation Rate 73% 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $66,500
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $206 $211

Diversity

UCSC Illinois
% Men 50% 54%
% Women 50% 46%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 48%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 31% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 4% 16%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

UCSC Illinois
% In-State 90% 71%
% Out-of-State 7% 11%

Campus

UCSC Illinois
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 Illinois at Urbana Champaign is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (56,916 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. Illinois Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Illinois?

  • University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign is 7.9% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($12,474.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.8% higher at UCSC than University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign ($41,636.00 vs. $30,446.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign than UCSC ($14,544 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign are 43% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($12,720 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Santa Cruz than University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (68% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 28.1% larger than aid received University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign ($21,202 vs. $16,552)

UCSC vs. Illinois Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (1305) is 104 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
  • Incoming Illinois students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at UCSC (28)
  • Accepted freshman Illinois students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.79) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (46.9%) than Illinois (44.8%)

UCSC vs. Illinois Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Illinois is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (82% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign earn on average $16,100 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($66,500 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $541 lower median federal student loan debt than Illinois graduates. ($19,959 vs. $20,500)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than Illinois graduates. ($206 vs. $211)
  • More Illinois graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCSC students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 74%)

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