University of California-Santa Cruz

www.ucsc.edu

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2023 Undergraduate Tuition
$11,834
2.33% growth from 2022
2023 Average Net Price
$16,526
After Financial Aid
2021 Default Rate
0.0293%
on Student Loans
2023 Acceptance Rate
62.5%
68,845 Applicants
2023 Enrolled Students
19,764
96.7% Full-Time
2023 Graduation Rate
74.5%
3,002 Graduates

About

University of California-Santa Cruz is a higher education institution located in Santa Cruz County, CA. In 2023, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at University of California-Santa Cruz were Computer Science (658 degrees awarded), General Psychology (499 degrees), and Business & Managerial Economics (280 degrees).

In 2023, 5,445 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at University of California-Santa Cruz. 47.7% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 52.3% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (1,920 degrees), 1.46 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1,315 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at University of California-Santa Cruz is $11,834, which is $−19,169 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,004).

In 2021 the default rate for borrower's at University of California-Santa Cruz was 0.0293%, corresponding to 1 out of the 3,418 total borrowers.

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research ActivityDoctoral Universities

Costs

In 2023, the median undergraduate tuition at University of California-Santa Cruz is $11,834, which is $19,170 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,004).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $16,526.

In 2023, 62% of undergraduate students attending University of California-Santa Cruz received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 29% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$11,834
2023 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2023, the cost of tuition at University of California-Santa Cruz was $11,834. The cost of tuition at University of California-Santa Cruz is $−19,170 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,004).

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

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Average Net Price

$16,526
2023 Value
8.06%
1 Year Growth

In 2023 University of California-Santa Cruz had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $16,526. Between 2022 and 2023, the average net price of University of California-Santa Cruz grew by 8.06%.

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.

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Other Student Expenses

$16,919
Room and Board
$1,204
Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at University of California-Santa Cruz was of $16,919 in 2023. The cost of room and board increased by 3.91% between 2022 and 2023.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,204. The cost of books and supplies increased by 2.03% during the same period.

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

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Financial Aid by Income Level

62%
Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants
29%
Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

62% of undergraduate students at University of California-Santa Cruz received financial aid through grants or loans in 2023. This represents a decline of 4.62% with respect to 2022, when 65% 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.

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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.
0.0293%
2021 Default Rate
1
Number of Defaults

In 2021 the default rate for borrower's at University of California-Santa Cruz was 0.0293%, which represents 1 out of the 3418 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.

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Admissions

University of California-Santa Cruz received 68,845 undergraduate applications in 2023, which represents a 4.45% annual growth. Out of those 68,845 applicants, 43,054 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 62.5% acceptance rate.

There were 19,764 students enrolled at University of California-Santa Cruz in 2023. 89% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

University of California-Santa Cruz has an overall enrollment yield of 10.2%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

62.5%
Acceptance Rate in 2023
43,054
Accepted Out of 68,845

In 2023, the undergraduate acceptance rate of University of California-Santa Cruz was 62.5% (43,054 admissions from 68,845 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2022, which was 46.9%. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of applicants grew by 4.45%, while admissions grew by 39.2%.

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.

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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.

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Enrollment

University of California-Santa Cruz had a total enrollment of 19,764 students in 2023. The full-time enrollment at University of California-Santa Cruz is 19,120 students and the part-time enrollment is 644. This means that 96.7% 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 31% White, 27.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 8.09% Two or More Races, 1.93% Black or African American, 0.121% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0911% 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 (17.1%), followed by White Female (15.9%) and White Male (15.2%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Male (17.5%), followed by White Female (17.1%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (7.03%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

96.7%
Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at University of California-Santa Cruz in 2023, both undergraduate and graduate, is 19,764 students. The full-time enrollment at University of California-Santa Cruz is 19,120 and the part-time enrollment is 644. This means that 96.7% of students enrolled at University of California-Santa Cruz are enrolled full-time compared with 77.9% 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.

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Retention Rate over Time

90%
2023 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 90%. 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.

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Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2023)
  1. White
    6,121 enrolled students
  2. Hispanic or Latino
    5,359 enrolled students
  3. Asian
    4,608 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at University of California-Santa Cruz is 31% White, 27.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 8.09% Two or More Races, 1.93% Black or African American, 0.121% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.0911% 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 46.5% White, 15.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.78% 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, 461 students (2.33%) did not report their race.

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Graduates

In 2023, 247 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 (1,920 degrees awarded). There were 1.46 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1,315 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at University of California-Santa Cruz is Computer Science (658 degrees awarded), followed by General Psychology (499 degrees) and Business & Managerial Economics (280 degrees).

In 2023,  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 (128 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (211 degrees), and Physical Sciences (315 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 (461,804 people), Postsecondary teachers (213,836 people), Other managers (210,203 people), Other Physical Scientists (181,736 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (115,153 people).

The most specialized majors at University of California-Santa Cruz in 2023 are Cultural & Gender Studies (128 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (211 degrees), Physical Sciences (315 degrees), Natural Resources & Conservation (188 degrees), and Biology (787 degrees) (as of 2023).

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Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Diagnostic medical sonographers
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 Diagnostic medical sonographers, Surgeons, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, and Nurse anesthetists

The most specialized majors at University of California-Santa Cruz are Cultural & Gender Studies (128 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (211 degrees), Physical Sciences (315 degrees), Natural Resources & Conservation (188 degrees), and Biology (787 degrees) (as of 2023).

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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 (543,494 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (463,722 people), uninformed (322,206 people), Elementary & secondary schools (309,335 people), and Offices of physicians (218,992 people).

The most specialized majors at University of California-Santa Cruz are Cultural & Gender Studies (128 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (211 degrees), Physical Sciences (315 degrees), Natural Resources & Conservation (188 degrees), and Biology (787 degrees) (as of 2023).

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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 (2023)
  1. Computer Science
    658 degrees awarded
  2. General Psychology
    499 degrees awarded
  3. Business & Managerial Economics
    280 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common bachelors degree concentration at University of California-Santa Cruz was Computer Science with 658 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.

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Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

2,846
Degrees Awarded to Men
in 2023
2,599
Degrees Awarded to Women
in 2023

In 2023, 2,846 degrees were awarded to men at University of California-Santa Cruz, which is 1.1 times more than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,599).

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

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Most Common Male Majors

In 2023, 613 degrees were awarded to men at University of California-Santa Cruz in Computer Science, which is 5.38 times more than the 114 female recipients with that same degree.

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Most Common Female Majors

In 2023, 368 degrees were awarded to men at University of California-Santa Cruz in General Psychology, which is 2.57 times more than the 143 male recipients with that same degree.

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Time to Complete

60%
100% Completion Time
78%
150% Completion Time

In 2023, 60% 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, 78% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 79% 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.

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Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.
Asian Female
Highest Graduation Rate (82.9%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2023 at University of California-Santa Cruz is Female and Asian (82.9% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (74.3%).

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, 1.53% of graduates (46 students) did not report their race.

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Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2023)
  1. White
    1,920 degrees awarded
  2. Hispanic or Latino
    1,315 degrees awarded
  3. Asian
    1,055 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at University of California-Santa Cruz is white (1,920 degrees awarded). There were 1.46 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1,315 degrees).

1.76% of degree recipients (96 students) did not report their race.

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Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2023)
  1. White Male
    1,017 degrees awarded
  2. White Female
    903 degrees awarded
  3. Hispanic or Latino Female
    743 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at University of California-Santa Cruz is white male (1,017 degrees awarded). There were 1.13 times more white male recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (903 degrees).

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Operations

University of California-Santa Cruz employs 311 Professors, 187 Lecturers and 172 Assistant professors. Most academics at University of California-Santa Cruz are Male Professor (187), Female Professor (124), and Female Lecturer (109).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of California-Santa Cruz are: Business and Financial Operations, with 511 employees, Computer, Engineering, and Science, with 460 employees, and Service with 460 employees.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts
  1. $102M - Federal
  2. $12.8M - State
  3. $2.06M - Local

As of 2023, University of California-Santa Cruz received $102M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $12.8M from state grants and contracts, and $2.06M from local grants and contracts.

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Salary Expenditure

$461M
2023 Salaries
10.4%
growth from 2022

In 2023, University of California-Santa Cruz paid a median of $461M in salaries, a 10.4% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 8.63% growth between 2021 and 2022, and a 3.4% decline between 2020 and 2021.

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Instructional Salaries

$126M
Instructional Salaries
820
Number of Employees

In 2023, University of California-Santa Cruz paid a total of $126M to 820 employees working as instructors, which represents 27.3% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $6.13M (2.35%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

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Occupations by Share

Professor
Most Common Instructor
311 Employees
Business and Financial Operations
Most Common Non-Instructional Employee
511 Employees

In 2023, the most common positions for instructional staff at University of California-Santa Cruz were Professor with 311 employees, Lecturer with 187 employees, and Assistant professor with 172 employees.

In 2023, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of California-Santa Cruz were Business and Financial Operations with 511 employees, Computer, Engineering, and Science with 460 employees, and Service with 460 employees.

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Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2023)
  1. Male Professor
  2. Female Professor
  3. Female Lecturer

In 2023, the most common demographic for instructional staff at University of California-Santa Cruz was Male Professor with 187 employees, Female Professor with 124 employees, and Female Lecturer with 109 employees.

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

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