UCSC vs. University of Massachusetts-Lowell

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

UCSC University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Location Santa Cruz, CA Lowell, MA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 19,478 17,153
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #406
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu uml.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $15,462
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $33,830
Room & Board $18,185 $13,930
Avg Net Price $17,975 $17,240
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $11,983
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 82%

Admission

UCSC University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 12,253
Admitted 30,926 10,532
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 86%
Enrolled % 12.5% 18.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.67
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/33 25/31
SAT Range 1160/1360 1170/1348
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 15, 2025

Academics

UCSC University of Massachusetts-Lowell
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 (18%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (12%)
  • Health Professions (10%)

Outcomes

UCSC University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Graduation Rate 73% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $206 $258

Diversity

UCSC University of Massachusetts-Lowell
% Men 50% 57%
% Women 50% 43%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 33% 64%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 31% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 4% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 5%

Students

UCSC University of Massachusetts-Lowell
% In-State 90% 87%
% Out-of-State 7% 10%

Campus

UCSC University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Santa Cruz is larger than than University of Massachusetts-Lowell based on total student enrollment (19,478 students vs. 17,153 students)

UCSC vs. University of Massachusetts-Lowell Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or University of Massachusetts-Lowell?

  • University of Massachusetts Lowell is 33.7% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($15,462.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 23.1% higher at UCSC than University of Massachusetts Lowell ($41,636.00 vs. $33,830.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Massachusetts Lowell than UCSC ($17,240 vs. $17,975)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Massachusetts Lowell are 30.5% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($13,930 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Massachusetts Lowell than University of California Santa Cruz (82% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 76.9% larger than aid received University of Massachusetts Lowell ($21,202 vs. $11,983)

UCSC vs. University of Massachusetts-Lowell Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 4 points higher than at University of Massachusetts-Lowell (1197)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at University of Massachusetts-Lowell (26)
  • Accepted freshman University of Massachusetts-Lowell students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.67) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • University of Massachusetts-Lowell has a higher acceptance rate (86%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. University of Massachusetts-Lowell Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or University of Massachusetts-Lowell? 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 University of Massachusetts-Lowell and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than University of Massachusetts Lowell (73% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from University of Massachusetts Lowell earn on average $4,900 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $5,041 lower median federal student loan debt than University of Massachusetts-Lowell graduates. ($19,959 vs. $25,000)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $52 less per month on federal student loans than University of Massachusetts-Lowell graduates. ($206 vs. $258)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former University of Massachusetts-Lowell students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 63%)

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