UCSC vs. UOP

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

 UCSC UOP
Location Santa Cruz, CA Stockton, CA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 19,478 6,277
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #161
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu pacific.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCSC UOP
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $52,918
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $52,918
Room & Board $18,185 $14,420
Avg Net Price $17,975 $28,164
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $38,322
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 96%

Admission

 UCSC UOP
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 5,891
Admitted 30,926 5,492
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 93.2%
Enrolled % 12.5% 15.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.58
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/33 25/33
SAT Range 1160/1360 1120/1423
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 UOP
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 UCSC UOP
Graduation Rate 73% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $81,400
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $24,625
Median Loan Payment $206 $254

Diversity

 UCSC UOP
% Men 50% 43%
% Women 50% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 27%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 31% 18%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 7% 6%
% International 4% 7%
% Unknown Race 2% 4%

Students

 UCSC UOP
% In-State 90% 82%
% Out-of-State 7% 9%

Campus

 UCSC UOP
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 UOP based on total student enrollment (19,478 students vs. 6,277 students)

UCSC vs. UOP Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or UOP?

  • University of the Pacific is 357.6% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($52,918.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 27.1% higher at UOP than University of California Santa Cruz ($52,918.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Santa Cruz than UOP ($17,975 vs. $28,164)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of the Pacific are 26.1% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($14,420 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of the Pacific than University of California Santa Cruz (96% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of the Pacific students is 80.7% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($38,322 vs. $21,202)

UCSC vs. UOP Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 49 points higher than at UOP (1152)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at UOP (26)
  • Accepted freshman UCSC students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at UOP (3.58)
  • UOP has a higher acceptance rate (93.2%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. UOP Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than University of the Pacific (73% vs. 69%)
  • Graduates from University of the Pacific earn on average $31,000 more per year than UCSC graduates after ten years. ($81,400 vs. $50,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $4,666 lower median federal student loan debt than UOP graduates. ($19,959 vs. $24,625)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $48 less per month on federal student loans than UOP graduates. ($206 vs. $254)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UOP 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/