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UCSD San Diego State Loyola Marymount UC Riverside UCSB Chapman UC Davis Cal Poly San Jose State UC Merced UCI Pepperdine| University of California Santa Cruz | University of San Diego | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
UCSC | USD | ||
| Location | Santa Cruz, CA | San Diego, CA | ||
| Setting | Small City | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 19,764 | 9,110 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #251 | |||
| Religious Affiliation | - | Roman Catholic | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | ucsc.edu | sandiego.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
UCSC | USD | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $11,834 | $55,690 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $42,611 | $55,690 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,785 | $18,084 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $16,526 | $37,675 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $21,564 | $37,444 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 65% | 84% |
Admission |
UCSC | USD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 68,845 | 15,953 | ||
| Admitted | 43,054 | 7,458 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 62.5% | 46.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 10.2% | 16.7% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.63 | 3.95 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very High | Unavailable | ||
| Applicant Competition | Low | Low | ||
| ACT Range | 25/33 | |||
| SAT Range | 1160/1360 | |||
| Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | ||
| Application Deadline | Nov 30, 2025 | Dec 15, 2025 |
Academics |
UCSC | USD | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 22:1 | 14:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
UCSC | USD | ||
| Graduation Rate | 73% | 75% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $50,400 | $70,200 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 74% | 78% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $19,959 | $22,904 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $206 | $236 |
Diversity |
UCSC | USD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 5% | 15% | ||
| % Women | 5% | 22% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 33% | 53% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 3% | ||
| % Hispanic | 31% | 19% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 7% | 6% | ||
| % International | 4% | 7% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 3% |
Students |
UCSC | USD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 91% | 51% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 7% | 43% | ||
Campus |
UCSC | USD | ||
| 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 California Santa Cruz is larger than than USD based on total student enrollment (19,764 students vs. 9,110 students)
UCSC vs. USD Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, UCSC or USD?
- University of San Diego is 370.6% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($55,690.00 vs. $11,834.00)
- Out of state tuition is 30.7% higher at USD than University of California Santa Cruz ($55,690.00 vs. $42,611.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than USD ($16,526 vs. $37,675)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of San Diego are 3.9% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($18,084 vs. $18,785)
- More students receive financial grant aid at University of San Diego than University of California Santa Cruz (84% vs. 65%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Diego students is 73.6% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($37,444 vs. $21,564)
UCSC vs. USD Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, UCSC or USD? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between USD or UCSC .
- The average SAT score at University of San Diego (1236) is 35 points higher than at UCSC (1201)
- Incoming UCSC students have at the same average ACT score (28) as students at USD (28)
- Accepted freshman USD students have a 0.32 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at UCSC (3.63)
- UCSC has a higher acceptance rate (62.5%) than USD (46.7%)
UCSC vs. USD Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, UCSC or USD? 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 USD and UCSC.
- The graduation rate at USD is higher than University of California Santa Cruz (75% vs. 73%)
- Graduates from University of San Diego earn on average $19,800 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($70,200 vs. $50,400)
- University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $2,945 lower median federal student loan debt than USD graduates. ($19,959 vs. $22,904)
- UCSC graduates are paying $30 less per month on federal student loans than USD graduates. ($206 vs. $236)
- More USD 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/