Aid signal
Strong aid for lower incomes
Reported net price for the $0–30k band runs below average.
Source: CollegeScorecard 2024
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UniversitypublicVerified data
University of California-Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA
Cost & Financial Aid
In-State Tuition
$16,005
Out-of-State Tuition
$50,205
Avg On-Campus Living
$19,948
Avg Off-Campus Living
$19,560
Financial Aid & Outcomes
CollegeScorecard · 2024
What will it actually cost?
Sticker price$35,953
Net price (after aid)$17,890
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
$0 – $30k$8,717
$30k – $48k$10,613
$48k – $75k$14,418
$75k – $110k$18,986
$110k+$33,323
After graduation
Median earnings (10yr)$68,396
Median debt at graduation$16,666
Est. monthly loan payment$177
Earnings-to-debt ratio
Strong · 4.1×Graduates earn about 4.1× their median debt every year.
Financial access
Students on Pell Grants32%
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Students with federal loans28%
Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.
Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.
How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.
Student Outcomes
Graduation Rate
75%
Freshman Retention
88%
Source: CollegeScorecard (2024)
Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.
Scholarships available
Decision support · Cost & value
Quick Decision Highlights
The strongest cost, aid, and value reasons to consider this school.
Strong post-grad earnings
$68.4k above avg
Manageable graduate debt
$16.7k below avg
Strong completion rate
75% above avg
Affordability snapshot
In-state tuition
$16k
Out-of-state
$50.2k
Net price
$17.9k
Pell
32%
Median debt
$16.7k
below avg
Earnings (10y)
$68.4k
above avg
“Avg” comparisons reference national IPEDS / College Scorecard averages (~2022–23); figures are directional and vary by school and year.
Admissions
Acceptance rate
66%
SAT range
923 - 1160
ACT range
18 - 26
Actions
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Location
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UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school
Institution does not report this
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Academics
Studying online: a small share study entirely online
In Fall 2023, 190 of University of California-Santa Cruz's 19,764 students (1%) were enrolled entirely at a distance. A further 5,613 (28%) took at least one distance course alongside in-person study.
Distance-education figures count STUDENTS enrolled in Fall 2023, not programs on offer. "Exclusively at a distance" means a student took only distance courses that term. A college with few or no such students may still run online courses or an online degree, so a low figure is not evidence that online study is unavailable, and a high one is not a judgement of quality either way.
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Fall Enrollment (distance education status), Fall 2023
Fields of study
University of California-Santa Cruz reported conferring credentials in 59 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.
Campus & Student Life
Area Safety Rating
Similar schools
Frequently asked questions
About University of California-Santa Cruz
Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.
- Where is University of California-Santa Cruz located?
- University of California-Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, CA, in the United States.
- What type of institution is University of California-Santa Cruz?
- University of California-Santa Cruz is a public university based in CA. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
- What is the acceptance rate at University of California-Santa Cruz?
- The most recently reported acceptance rate at University of California-Santa Cruz is approximately 66%. Acceptance rate signals selectivity but does not predict any individual applicant's outcome and is not a measure of school quality. CampusPin reports the federally-published value; verify the current cycle with the institution.
- What is the tuition at University of California-Santa Cruz?
- University of California-Santa Cruz's published in-state tuition is approximately $16,005 per year. This is the published price before financial aid; the net price most students actually pay is typically lower. Verify the current academic-year tuition with the institution before applying.
- How many students attend University of California-Santa Cruz?
- University of California-Santa Cruz reports total enrollment of approximately 19,764 students (undergraduate plus graduate). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.
- How much does University of California-Santa Cruz actually cost after financial aid?
- The average net price at University of California-Santa Cruz is approximately $17,890 per year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that never have to be repaid, so it is what students actually paid rather than the published sticker price. What families pay varies with income: students from families earning under $30,000 paid about $8,717 on average, and those from families earning $110,000 or more about $33,323. These are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any individual family. Run the institution's own Net Price Calculator for a figure specific to you.
- What is the graduation rate at University of California-Santa Cruz?
- University of California-Santa Cruz reports a graduation rate of approximately 75%. This measures the share of a prior entering cohort who completed their degree within the federal tracking window. It reflects who enrolls as much as what the institution does, so it is not on its own a measure of teaching quality, and it is not comparable across institutions serving very different students.
- How much student debt do graduates of University of California-Santa Cruz have?
- Students who borrowed at University of California-Santa Cruz left with a median of approximately $16,666 in federal loans, and about 28% of students took federal loans at all. Both numbers matter: a median describes only the students who borrowed, so it reads very differently at a school where most students borrow than at one where few do. Federal loans only, so private and parent borrowing are not included.
- How much do graduates of University of California-Santa Cruz earn?
- Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $68,396 for students who received federal financial aid at University of California-Santa Cruz. This reflects the mix of programs the institution offers and the students who enroll, not the effect of attending, and it covers aid recipients rather than all graduates.
- How should I verify final details about University of California-Santa Cruz?
- CampusPin compiles institutional data from public datasets like IPEDS and the College Scorecard, plus institutional websites and editorial review. Before applying, paying a deposit, or making a final decision, confirm admissions requirements, current tuition, financial aid, deadlines, and program details directly with University of California-Santa Cruz.
Fields this college awarded credentials in
The 14 largest of 59 fields University of California-Santa Cruz reported, by credentials conferred in 2023-24, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.
| Field | Awarded | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 719 | Graduate64 graduate · 655 bachelor's |
| Psychology, General | 524 | Graduate17 graduate · 507 bachelor's |
| Business/Managerial Economics | 306 | Bachelor's |
| Biology, General | 218 | Bachelor's |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 217 | Graduate24 graduate · 193 bachelor's |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 199 | Graduate15 graduate · 184 bachelor's |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 187 | Graduate12 graduate · 175 bachelor's |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 177 | Graduate11 graduate · 166 bachelor's |
| Sociology | 176 | Graduate6 graduate · 170 bachelor's |
| Political Science and Government | 173 | Graduate7 graduate · 166 bachelor's |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 171 | Graduate5 graduate · 166 bachelor's |
| Computer Engineering | 163 | Graduate9 graduate · 154 bachelor's |
| Economics | 160 | Graduate28 graduate · 132 bachelor's |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 152 | Graduate8 graduate · 144 bachelor's |
Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Explore more
Compare colleges side by sideAll colleges in CaliforniaCalifornia college costs by family incomeStudent debt at California collegesComputer science major guideBusiness major guideNursing major guidePsychology major guideEngineering major guide
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with University of California-Santa Cruz before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Reporting period: 2024Last verified: June 10, 2026
Facts on this profile of University of California-Santa Cruz are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Clery Act campus security reports
Annual campus security and fire-safety disclosures required of U.S. institutions.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (2024). University of California-Santa Cruz, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/university-of-california-santa-cruz
About this information
CampusPin compiles college information from recent publicly available data, including federal and institutional sources. College information can change as institutions and public agencies release new data.
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