University of California-Santa Cruz

www.ucsc.edu

Add Comparison

2022 Undergraduate Tuition

$11,564

1.07% growth from 2021

2022 Average Net Price

$17,975

After Financial Aid

2020 Default Rate

0.0292%

on Student Loans

2022 Acceptance Rate

46.9%

65,912 Applicants

2022 Enrolled Students

19,478

95.7% Full-Time

2022 Graduation Rate

76.9%

3,225 Graduates

About

University of California-Santa Cruz is a higher education institution located in Santa Cruz County, CA. In 2022, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at University of California-Santa Cruz were Computer Science (607 degrees awarded), General Psychology (431 degrees), and Business & Managerial Economics (287 degrees).

In 2022, 5,301 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at University of California-Santa Cruz. 48.2% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 51.8% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (1,668 degrees), 1.21 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1,381 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at University of California-Santa Cruz is $11,564, which is $−18,586 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($30,150).

In 2020 the default rate for borrower's at University of California-Santa Cruz was 0.0292%, corresponding to 1 out of the 3421 total borrowers.

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

In 2022, the median undergraduate tuition at University of California-Santa Cruz is $11,564, which is $18,586 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($30,150).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $17,975.

In 2022, 65% of undergraduate students attending University of California-Santa Cruz received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 28% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$11,564

2022 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2022, the cost of tuition at University of California-Santa Cruz was $11,564. The cost of tuition at University of California-Santa Cruz is $−18,586 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($30,150).

This chart compares the tuition costs of University of California-Santa Cruz (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$17,975

2022 Value

8.36%

1 Year Growth

In 2022 University of California-Santa Cruz had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $17,975. Between 2021 and 2022, the average net price of University of California-Santa Cruz grew by 8.36%.

This chart compares the average net price of University of California-Santa Cruz (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$16,282

Room and Board

$1,180

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at University of California-Santa Cruz was of $16,282 in 2022. The cost of room and board decreased by 2.27% between 2021 and 2022.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,180. The cost of books and supplies increased by 1.55% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at University of California-Santa Cruz (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

65%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

28%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

65% of undergraduate students at University of California-Santa Cruz received financial aid through grants or loans in 2022. This represents a growth of 4.84% with respect to 2021, when 62% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at University of California-Santa Cruz (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

0.0292%

2020 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2020 the default rate for borrower's at University of California-Santa Cruz was 0.0292%, which represents 1 out of the 3421 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

University of California-Santa Cruz received 65,912 undergraduate applications in 2022, which represents a 6.84% annual growth. Out of those 65,912 applicants, 30,926 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 46.9% acceptance rate.

There were 19,478 students enrolled at University of California-Santa Cruz in 2022. 89% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

University of California-Santa Cruz has an overall enrollment yield of 12.5%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

46.9%

Acceptance Rate in 2022

30,926

Accepted Out of 65,912

In 2022, the undergraduate acceptance rate of University of California-Santa Cruz was 46.9% (30,926 admissions from 65,912 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2021, which was 58.6%. Between 2021 and 2022, the number of applicants grew by 6.84%, while admissions declined by 14.5%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of University of California-Santa Cruz (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

89%

Submission Percentage (2020)

3,726

Scores Submitted (2020)

89% of enrolled first-time students at University of California-Santa Cruz in 2020 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

The following chart shows the average SAT scores for the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of applicants for each section of the test that they are evaluated on.

Enrollment

University of California-Santa Cruz had a total enrollment of 19,478 students in 2022. The full-time enrollment at University of California-Santa Cruz is 18,646 students and the part-time enrollment is 832. This means that 95.7% of students enrolled at University of California-Santa Cruz are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at University of California-Santa Cruz, both undergraduate and graduate, is 32.3% White, 26.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 7.94% Two or More Races, 1.84% Black or African American, 0.139% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.103% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at University of California-Santa Cruz in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly Hispanic or Latino Female (16.8%), followed by White Male (15.9%) and White Female (15.7%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Male (18.5%), followed by White Female (18%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (6.99%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

95.7%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at University of California-Santa Cruz in 2022, both undergraduate and graduate, is 19,478 students. The full-time enrollment at University of California-Santa Cruz is 18,646 and the part-time enrollment is 832. This means that 95.7% of students enrolled at University of California-Santa Cruz are enrolled full-time compared with 77.4% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at University of California-Santa Cruz (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

88%

2022 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at University of California-Santa Cruz was 88%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84%), University of California-Santa Cruz had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at University of California-Santa Cruz (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2022)

White
6,288 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
5,172 enrolled students
Asian
4,246 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at University of California-Santa Cruz is 32.3% White, 26.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 7.94% Two or More Races, 1.84% Black or African American, 0.139% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.103% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 47.5% White, 15.5% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.58% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 398 students (2.04%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2022, 187 fewer women than men received degrees from University of California-Santa Cruz. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at University of California-Santa Cruz is white (1,668 degrees awarded). There were 1.21 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1381 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at University of California-Santa Cruz is Computer Science (607 degrees awarded), followed by General Psychology (431 degrees) and Business & Managerial Economics (287 degrees).

In 2022, the most specialized majors across all degree types at University of California-Santa Cruz, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Language & Linguistics (219 degrees awarded), Physical Sciences (275 degrees), and Biology (752 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Physicians

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of California-Santa Cruz are Physicians (483,410 people), Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (390,278 people), Other managers (380,377 people), Postsecondary teachers (304,166 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (210,973 people).

The most specialized majors at University of California-Santa Cruz in 2022 are Language & Linguistics (219 degrees awarded), Physical Sciences (275 degrees), Biology (752 degrees), Social Sciences (725 degrees), and Philosophy and Religious Studies (67 degrees) (as of 2022).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of California-Santa Cruz are Surgeons, Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, and Physicians

The most specialized majors at University of California-Santa Cruz are Language & Linguistics (219 degrees awarded), Physical Sciences (275 degrees), Biology (752 degrees), Social Sciences (725 degrees), and Philosophy and Religious Studies (67 degrees) (as of 2022).

Common Industries by Major

Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of California-Santa Cruz are Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (647,450 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (621,861 people), Elementary & secondary schools (527,098 people), Legal services (309,760 people), and Computer Systems Design (286,014 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by University of California-Santa Cruz.

Most Common (2022)

Computer Science
607 degrees awarded
General Psychology
431 degrees awarded
Business & Managerial Economics
287 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common bachelors degree concentration at University of California-Santa Cruz was Computer Science with 607 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at University of California-Santa Cruz according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

2,744

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2022

2,557

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2022

In 2022, 2,744 degrees were awarded to men at University of California-Santa Cruz, which is 1.07 times more than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,557).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at University of California-Santa Cruz by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2022, 530 degrees were awarded to men at University of California-Santa Cruz in Computer Science, which is 4.17 times more than the 127 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2022, 314 degrees were awarded to men at University of California-Santa Cruz in General Psychology, which is 2.38 times more than the 132 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

55%

100% Completion Time

76%

150% Completion Time

In 2022, 55% of students graduating from University of California-Santa Cruz completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 76% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 77% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

American Indian or Alaska Native Female

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2022 at University of California-Santa Cruz is Female and American Indian or Alaska Native (100% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (73.2%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 0.961% of graduates (31 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2022)

White
1,668 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
1,381 degrees awarded
Asian
1,105 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at University of California-Santa Cruz is white (1,668 degrees awarded). There were 1.21 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1381 degrees).

2.21% of degree recipients (117 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2022)

White Male
873 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
795 degrees awarded
White Female
795 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at University of California-Santa Cruz is white male (873 degrees awarded). There were 1.1 times more white male recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino female (795 degrees).

Operations

University of California-Santa Cruz employs 304 Professors, 163 Lecturers and 151 Assistant professors. Most academics at University of California-Santa Cruz are Male Professor (185), Female Professor (119), and Female Lecturer (95).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of California-Santa Cruz are: Business and Financial Operations, with 467 employees, Computer, Engineering, and Science, with 430 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 423 employees.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$96M - Federal
$12.3M - State
$1.53M - Local

As of 2022, University of California-Santa Cruz received $96M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $12.3M from state grants and contracts, and $1.53M from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$417M

2022 Salaries

8.63%

growth from 2021

In 2022, University of California-Santa Cruz paid a median of $417M in salaries, a 8.63% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 3.4% decline between 2020 and 2021, and a 7.16% growth between 2019 and 2020.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 246M (41.5% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$114M

Instructional Salaries

772

Number of Employees

In 2022, University of California-Santa Cruz paid a total of $114M to 772 employees working as instructors, which represents 27.3% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $73.7M (30%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

304 Employees

Business and Financial Operations

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

467 Employees

In 2022, the most common positions for instructional staff at University of California-Santa Cruz were Professor with 304 employees, Lecturer with 163 employees, and Assistant professor with 151 employees.

In 2022, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of California-Santa Cruz were Business and Financial Operations with 467 employees, Computer, Engineering, and Science with 430 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 423 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2022)

Male Professor
Female Professor
Female Lecturer

In 2022, the most common demographic for instructional staff at University of California-Santa Cruz was Male Professor with 185 employees, Female Professor with 119 employees, and Female Lecturer with 95 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at University of California-Santa Cruz.

Keep Exploring

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

University

University of Colorado Boulder

University

Missouri University of Science and Technology

University

Michigan Technological University

University