UCSC vs. KU

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

 UCSC KU
Location Santa Cruz, CA Lawrence, KS
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 19,478 26,708
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #252
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu ku.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSC KU
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $10,092
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $26,960
Room & Board $18,185 $10,136
Avg Net Price $17,975 $18,950
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $11,140
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 87%

Admission

 UCSC KU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 16,204
Admitted 30,926 14,234
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 87.8%
Enrolled % 12.5% 31.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.66
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/33 21/28
SAT Range 1160/1360 1090/1340
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 Aug 15, 2025

Academics

 UCSC KU
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

 UCSC KU
Graduation Rate 73% 61%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $54,600
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $206 $211

Diversity

 UCSC KU
% Men 50% 45%
% Women 50% 55%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 33% 72%
% Black 2% 4%
% Hispanic 31% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 5%
% International 4% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 UCSC KU
% In-State 90% 58%
% Out-of-State 7% 39%

Campus

 UCSC KU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Kansas is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (26,708 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. KU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or KU?

  • University of California Santa Cruz is 14.6% more expensive to attend than KU for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $10,092.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 54.4% higher at UCSC than University of Kansas ($41,636.00 vs. $26,960.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than KU ($17,975 vs. $18,950)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Kansas are 79.4% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($10,136 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Kansas than University of California Santa Cruz (87% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 90.3% larger than aid received University of Kansas ($21,202 vs. $11,140)

UCSC vs. KU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 56 points higher than at KU (1145)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at KU (25)
  • Accepted freshman KU students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • KU has a higher acceptance rate (87.8%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. KU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than University of Kansas (73% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from University of Kansas earn on average $4,200 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($54,600 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $541 lower median federal student loan debt than KU graduates. ($19,959 vs. $20,500)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than KU graduates. ($206 vs. $211)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former KU students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 66%)

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