University of California-Santa Cruz

www.ucsc.edu/

Add Comparison

2020 Undergraduate Tuition

$11,442

0% growth from 2019

2020 Average Net Price

$17,842

After Financial Aid

2018 Student Loan

2.99%

Default Rate

2020 Acceptance Rate

64.7%

54,988 Applicants

2020 Enrolled Students

19,161

96.1% Full-Time

2020 Graduation Rate

75.5%

3,028 Graduates

About

University of California-Santa Cruz is a higher education institution located in Santa Cruz County, CA. In 2016, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at University of California-Santa Cruz were Computer Science (667 degrees awarded), General Psychology (514 degrees), and Cellular & Molecular Biology (341 degrees).

In 2020, 5,959 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at University of California-Santa Cruz. 52.4% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 47.6% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (1,930 degrees), 1.18 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1638 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at University of California-Santa Cruz is $11,442, which is $−17,187 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,629).

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at University of California-Santa Cruz is $11,442, which is $−17,187 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,629).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $17,842.

In 2020, 69% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 35% of undergraduate students received federal loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$11,442

2020 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2020, the cost of tuition at University of California-Santa Cruz was $11,442. The cost of tuition at University of California-Santa Cruz is $−17,187 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,629).

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

Average Net Price

$17,842

2020 Value

0.263%

1 Year Growth

In 2020 University of California-Santa Cruz had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $17,842. Between 2019 and 2020, the average net price of University of California-Santa Cruz grew by 0.263%.

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

$15,084

Room and Board

$1,085

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at University of California-Santa Cruz was of $15,084 in 2020. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,085. The cost of room and board increased by 3.29% between 2019 and 2020. The cost of books and supplies decreased by 0.367% 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

Financial Aid by Income Level

69%

Of Undergraduates Receive Grants

35%

Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans

69% of undergraduate students at University of California-Santa Cruz received grants or loans in 2020. This represents a growth of 2.99% with respect to 2019, when 67% 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.

2.99%

2018 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2018 the default rate for borrower's at University of California-Santa Cruz was 2.99%, which represents 96 out of the 3209 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 54,988 undergraduate applications in 2020, which represents a 1.45% annual decline. Out of those 54,988 applicants, 35,591 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 64.7% acceptance rate.

There were 19,161 students enrolled at University of California-Santa Cruz in 2020, and 89% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

University of California-Santa Cruz has an overall enrollment yield of 11.8%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

64.7%

Acceptance Rate in 2020

35,591

Accepted Out of 54,988

In 2020, the undergraduate acceptance rate of University of California-Santa Cruz was 64.7% (35,591 admissions from 54,988 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2019, which was 51.3%. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of applicants declined by −1.45%, while admissions grew by 24.3%.

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

SAT Scores

89%

Submission Percentage

3,726

Scores Submitted

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

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

University of California-Santa Cruz has a total enrollment of 19,161 students. The full-time enrollment at University of California-Santa Cruz is 18,410 students and the part-time enrollment is 751. This means that 96.1% 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 31.1% White, 25.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 7.9% Two or More Races, 1.93% Black or African American, 0.104% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0939% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at University of California-Santa Cruz in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Male (15.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Female (15.4%) and White Female (14.1%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Male (20.2%), followed by White Female (19.4%) and Hispanic or Latino Male (6.88%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

96.1%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at University of California-Santa Cruz, both undergraduate and graduate, is 19,161 students. The full-time enrollment at University of California-Santa Cruz is 18,410 and the part-time enrollment is 751. This means that 96.1% of students enrolled at University of California-Santa Cruz are enrolled full-time compared with 76.4% 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

85%

2020 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 85%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84.5%), 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

White
5,958
Hispanic or Latino
4,932
Asian
4,135

The enrolled student population at University of California-Santa Cruz is 31.1% White, 25.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 7.9% Two or More Races, 1.93% Black or African American, 0.104% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0939% 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 49.8% White, 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.74% 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, 370 students (1.93%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2020, 287 more 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 (1,930 degrees awarded). There were 1.18 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1638 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at University of California-Santa Cruz is Computer Science (667 degrees awarded), followed by General Psychology (514 degrees) and Cellular & Molecular Biology (341 degrees).

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 Cultural & Gender Studies (174 degrees awarded), Natural Resources & Conservation (265 degrees), and Language & Linguistics (274 degrees).

Workforce

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 (459,087 people), Postsecondary teachers (209,742 people), Other managers (185,075 people), Other Physical Scientists (158,821 people), and Secondary school teachers (111,903 people).

The most specialized majors at University of California-Santa Cruz are Cultural & Gender Studies (174 degrees awarded), Natural Resources & Conservation (265 degrees), Language & Linguistics (274 degrees), Biology (894 degrees), and Physical Sciences (275 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents

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 Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Surgeons, Dentists, Physicians, and Actuaries

Common Industries by Major

General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals

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 General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (490,801 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (454,078 people), Elementary & secondary schools (292,109 people), Offices of physicians (230,576 people), and Scientific research & development services (185,771 people).

Degrees

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

Computer Science
667 degree-majorss awarded
General Psychology
514 degree-majorss awarded
Cellular & Molecular Biology
341 degree-majorss awarded

In 2020, the most common bachelors degree concentration at University of California-Santa Cruz was Computer Science with 667 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

2,836

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2020

3,123

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2020

In 2020, 2,836 degrees were awarded to men at University of California-Santa Cruz, which is 0.908 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (3,123).

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 2020, 569 degrees were awarded to men at University of California-Santa Cruz in Computer Science, which is 3.95 times more than the 144 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2020, 403 degrees were awarded to women at University of California-Santa Cruz in General Psychology, which is 3.42 times more than the 118 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

49%

100% Completion Time

74%

150% Completion Time

In 2020, 49% 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, 74% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 76% 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.

Diversity

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Asian Female

Highest Graduation Rate (86.8%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at University of California-Santa Cruz is Female and Asian (86.8% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.4%).

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, 1.59% of graduates (48 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
1,930 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
1,638 degrees awarded
Asian
1,249 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at University of California-Santa Cruz is white (1,930 degrees awarded). There were 1.18 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1638 degrees).

2.32% of degree recipients (138 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic

Hispanic or Latino Female
1,009 degrees awarded
White Female
984 degrees awarded
White Male
946 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at University of California-Santa Cruz is hispanic or latino female (1,009 degrees awarded). There were 1.03 times more hispanic or latino female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (984 degrees).

Operations

University of California-Santa Cruz has an endowment valued at nearly $116M, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $12.7M (10.9%), compared to the 3.48% average return ($10.5M on $302M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2020, University of California-Santa Cruz had a total salary expenditure of $N/A. University of California-Santa Cruz employs 302 Professors, 142 Assistant professors, and 121 Associate professors. Most academics at University of California-Santa Cruz are Male Professors (196), Female Professors(106), and Female Assistant professors (75).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of California-Santa Cruz are: Business and Financial Operations, with 422 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 394 employees, and Service with 376 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$116M

2020 Endowment

4.75%

growth from 2019

University of California-Santa Cruz has an endowment valued at about $116M, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The endowment of University of California-Santa Cruz grew 4.75% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $186M lower than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at University of California-Santa Cruz (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$81.6M - Federal
$8.19M - State
$1.39M - Local

As of 2020, University of California-Santa Cruz received $81.6M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $8.19M from state grants and contracts, and $1.39M from local grants and contracts.

Expenses

Salary Expenditure

$397M

2020 Salaries

7.16%

growth from 2019

In 2020, University of California-Santa Cruz paid a median of $397M in salaries, which represents NaNM% of their overall expenditure ($N/A) and a 7.16% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 5.29% growth from 2018 and a 7.2% growth from 2017.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 238M (43% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$94.8M

Instructional Salaries

688

Number of Employees

In 2020, University of California-Santa Cruz paid a total of $94.8M to 688 employees working as instructors, which represents 23.9% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $69.9M (29.4%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

302 Employees

Business and Financial Operations

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

422 Employees

In 2020, the most common positions for instructional staff at University of California-Santa Cruz were Professor with 302 employees; Assistant professor with 142 employees; and Assistant professor with 121 employees.

In 2020, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of California-Santa Cruz were Business and Financial Operations with 422 employees; Office and Administrative Support with 394 employees; and Service with 376 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Female Professor
Female Assistant professor

In 2020, the most common demographic for instructional staff at University of California-Santa Cruz was Male Professor with 196 employees, Female Professor with 106 employees, and Female Assistant professor with 75 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