UCSC vs. UO

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

UCSC UO
Location Santa Cruz, CA Eugene, OR
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 19,478 23,163
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #324
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu uoregon.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC UO
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $12,512
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $39,158
Room & Board $18,185 $14,640
Avg Net Price $17,975 $22,077
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $9,767
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 86%

Admission

UCSC UO
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 37,154
Admitted 30,926 32,061
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 86.3%
Enrolled % 12.5% 16.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.73
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/33 24/30
SAT Range 1160/1360 1140/1370
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 15, 2025

Academics

UCSC UO
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Social Sciences (22%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

UCSC UO
Graduation Rate 73% 66%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $49,000
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 62%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $21,101
Median Loan Payment $206 $218

Diversity

UCSC UO
% Men 50% 44%
% Women 50% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 60%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 31% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 7%
% International 4% 14%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

UCSC UO
% In-State 90% 43%
% Out-of-State 7% 56%

Campus

UCSC UO
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 Oregon is larger than than UCSC based on total student enrollment (23,163 students vs. 19,478 students)

UCSC vs. UO Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or UO?

  • University of Oregon is 8.2% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($12,512.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6.3% higher at UCSC than University of Oregon ($41,636.00 vs. $39,158.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than UO ($17,975 vs. $22,077)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Oregon are 24.2% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($14,640 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Oregon than University of California Santa Cruz (86% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Santa Cruz students is 117.1% larger than aid received University of Oregon ($21,202 vs. $9,767)

UCSC vs. UO Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 82 points higher than at UO (1119)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at UO (25)
  • Accepted freshman UO students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.73) than students at UCSC (3.63)
  • UO has a higher acceptance rate (86.3%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. UO Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than University of Oregon (73% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Cruz earn on average $1,400 more per year than UO graduates after ten years. ($50,400 vs. $49,000)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $1,142 lower median federal student loan debt than UO graduates. ($19,959 vs. $21,101)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $12 less per month on federal student loans than UO graduates. ($206 vs. $218)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UO students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 62%)

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