UCSC vs. Iowa

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

UCSC Iowa
Location Santa Cruz, CA Iowa City, IA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 19,478 30,015
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #224
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu uiowa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC Iowa
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $8,711
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $30,674
Room & Board $18,185 $11,476
Avg Net Price $17,975 $19,587
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $9,959
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 82%

Admission

UCSC Iowa
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 25,729
Admitted 30,926 22,128
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 86%
Enrolled % 12.5% 23.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.81
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/33 22/28
SAT Range 1160/1360 1130/1340
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 May 1, 2025

Academics

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

Outcomes

UCSC Iowa
Graduation Rate 73% 71%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $59,800
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $21,616
Median Loan Payment $206 $223

Diversity

UCSC Iowa
% Men 50% 44%
% Women 50% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 33% 67%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 31% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 4% 12%
% Unknown Race 2% 4%

Students

UCSC Iowa
% In-State 90% 54%
% Out-of-State 7% 45%

Campus

UCSC Iowa
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 Iowa is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (30,015 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. Iowa Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Iowa?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 32.8% more expensive to attend than Iowa for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $8,711.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 35.7% higher at UCSC than University of Iowa ($41,636.00 vs. $30,674.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than Iowa ($17,975 vs. $19,587)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Iowa are 58.5% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($11,476 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Iowa than University of California Santa Cruz (82% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 112.9% larger than aid received University of Iowa ($21,202 vs. $9,959)

UCSC vs. Iowa Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 37 points higher than at Iowa (1164)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Iowa (26)
  • Accepted freshman Iowa students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • Iowa has a higher acceptance rate (86%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. Iowa Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than University of Iowa (73% vs. 71%)
  • Graduates from University of Iowa earn on average $9,400 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($59,800 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $1,657 lower median federal student loan debt than Iowa graduates. ($19,959 vs. $21,616)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $17 less per month on federal student loans than Iowa graduates. ($206 vs. $223)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Iowa students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 70%)

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