UCSC vs. Whittier College

Should I go to University of California Santa Cruz or Whittier College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCSC or Whittier College 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UC Riverside UCSB UC Davis Cal Poly San Jose State UC Merced San Diego State UCI UCSD SCU Cal State Long Beach USF
University of California Santa Cruz vs. Whittier College comparison
University of California Santa Cruz Whittier College College 3 College 4
University of California Santa Cruz Whittier College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

UCSC Whittier College
Location Santa Cruz, CA Whittier, CA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 19,478 1,192
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #222 #273
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucsc.edu whittier.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCSC Whittier College
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $48,924
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $48,924
Room & Board $18,185 $15,623
Avg Net Price $17,975 $28,368
Avg Grant Aid $21,202 $34,623
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 100%

Admission

UCSC Whittier College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 65,912 3,014
Admitted 30,926 2,274
Acceptance Rate 46.9% 75.4%
Enrolled % 12.5% 10.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.63 3.61
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/33 24/30
SAT Range 1160/1360 1140/1340
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

Academics

UCSC Whittier College
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Social Sciences (22%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Biology (7%)

Outcomes

UCSC Whittier College
Graduation Rate 73% 55%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $50,400 $47,400
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,959 $25,500
Median Loan Payment $206 $263

Diversity

UCSC Whittier College
% Men 50% 44%
% Women 50% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 33% 31%
% Black 2% 5%
% Hispanic 31% 44%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 4%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

UCSC Whittier College
% In-State 90% 64%
% Out-of-State 7% 27%

Campus

UCSC Whittier College
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 Whittier College based on total student enrollment (19,478 students vs. 1,192 students)

UCSC vs. Whittier College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCSC or Whittier College?

  • Whittier College is 323.1% more expensive to attend than UCSC for in-state tuition ($48,924.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17.5% higher at Whittier College than University of California Santa Cruz ($48,924.00 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 Whittier College ($17,975 vs. $28,368)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Whittier College are 16.4% lower than costs at University of California Santa Cruz ($15,623 vs. $18,185)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Whittier College than University of California Santa Cruz (100% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Whittier College students is 63.3% larger than aid received University of California Santa Cruz ($34,623 vs. $21,202)

UCSC vs. Whittier College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Santa Cruz (1201) is 144 points higher than at Whittier College (1057)
  • Incoming UCSC students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Whittier College (23)
  • Accepted freshman UCSC students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.63) than students at Whittier College (3.61)
  • Whittier College has a higher acceptance rate (75.4%) than UCSC (46.9%)

UCSC vs. Whittier College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCSC or Whittier College? 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 Whittier College and UCSC.

  • The graduation rate at UCSC is higher than Whittier College (73% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from University of California Santa Cruz earn on average $3,000 more per year than Whittier College graduates after ten years. ($50,400 vs. $47,400)
  • University of California Santa Cruz students graduate with a $5,541 lower median federal student loan debt than Whittier College graduates. ($19,959 vs. $25,500)
  • UCSC graduates are paying $57 less per month on federal student loans than Whittier College graduates. ($206 vs. $263)
  • More UCSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Whittier College students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 69%)

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