University of California-Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA, United States)

University overview

Editorial View

Location, editorial summary, and verified institutional context.

University of California-Santa Cruz is a public institution in Santa Cruz, CA. IPEDS-reported enrollment is approximately 4,155 students. The published admit rate is 59%. Out-of-state tuition is listed at $58,903 before aid. The graduation rate in federal outcomes data is 78%. CollegesRef separates verified metrics from this editorial overview — confirm figures on the admissions, financial, and outcomes tabs before making decisions.

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Admissions

Verified Data

Selectivity, enrollment funnel, and reported test score ranges from verified federal data.

Institution type

Public

Carnegie

A Doctoral University (which undergraduates attend) with very high research activity

Setting

Small city

Admit rate (59%)

Yield estimate (11%)

Applicants

61,695

Admits

36,177

Enrolled

4,155

Academics

Verified Data

Enrollment scale, calendar structure, and outcome-linked academic signals.

Total students

4,155

4,155 students

Calendar

quarter

Academic calendar

Graduation rate

78%

Reported outcomes

Retention rate

89%

First-year retention

Carnegie classification

A Doctoral University (which undergraduates attend) with very high research activity

Cost and affordability

Verified Data

Tuition, net price, and aid signals sourced from federal reporting where available.

Average net price

$19,615

After grants and scholarships for in-state students where reported.

In-state tuition$92

Out-of-state tuition$58,903

Institutional grant aid$48

Pell share31%

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Campus life

Verified Data

Culture percentile bands describe student life intensity across common fit dimensions.

Campus culture bands are not yet available for University of California-Santa Cruz. Theme attributes and athletics may still appear under Special Features.

Rankings and recognition

Verified Data

CollegesRef does not invent magazine-style ranks. This section surfaces verified classification data and editorial context only.

Carnegie classification

A Doctoral University (which undergraduates attend) with very high research activity

Institutional classification used for academic peer grouping.

Athletics

NCAA Division III

NCAA division where available from verified imports.

Editorial spotlight

College profile: University of California-Santa Cruz

Outcomes and after college

Verified Data

Verified outcomes from imported federal datasets. Editorial interpretation may supplement these facts elsewhere on the profile.

Median earnings

N/A

Median earnings where reported by federal outcomes data.

Retention rate

89%

First-year student retention.

Graduation rate

78%

Students graduating within 150% of normal time.

Student reviews

Editorial View

User-submitted reviews are not fabricated for launch. This report card summarizes verified data signals until moderated student voices are available.

Data report card

Admissions selectivityD

Graduation outcomesB

RetentionA

Editorial depthB+

University of California-Santa Cruz

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Special features

Verified Data

Curated theme attributes and athletics context that distinguish campus character.

Historically Leans Liberal (relative to other American colleges)

Athletics

NCAA Division III

Sources and data freshness

Verified Data

Legacy CLGS importLast verified 2026-06-27T19:13:52+00:00

CollegesRef separates verified federal and institutional data from editorial interpretation. Personalized AI matching is available via Colleges Like This.

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