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University of California-Santa Cruz
Most applicants get into University of California-Santa Cruz — 65.8% were admitted — so the real questions are cost, fit and outcomes, covered below.
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University of California-Santa Cruz sits in Santa Cruz proper — a public campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. It carries a land-grant charter — the 1862 mandate that ties it to agricultural and practical education.
Its highest-earning path is Computer Engineering, where graduates median $124,641 four years out. Faculty pay averages $215,928 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 17,940 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 87.9% of first-years come back for a second year.
University of California-Santa Cruz won't look at test scores — here the GPA calculator is the tool that matters. Bring your saved semester numbers and see what they average.
Admissions
University of California-Santa Cruz does not use test scores in admissions at all: the 65.8% who got into University of California-Santa Cruz did it on GPA, coursework and application alone. No score range exists to publish.
In the Fall 2023 cycle, University of California-Santa Cruz received 68,845 applications and admitted 43,054 (62.5%), with 4,381 enrolling.
How University of California-Santa Cruz compares
| University of California-Santa Cruz | California median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 65.8% | 75.7% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $16,005 | $23,000 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $68,396 | $64,778 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median University of California-Santa Cruz student earns $68,396 — 6% above the California median of $64,778 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
As a public university, University of California-Santa Cruz prices by residency: $16,005 in-state versus $50,205 out-of-state — a $34,200 gap that makes state lines part of the decision.
17,940 undergraduates make University of California-Santa Cruz a large campus: broad course catalogs and big intro lectures come as a package.
75.1% of University of California-Santa Cruz students finish a bachelor's within six years — 20.2 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $16,005 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at University of California-Santa Cruz
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $124,641 |
| Computer Science | $123,422 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $118,290 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $98,567 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | $94,589 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $88,305 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | $82,064 |
| Economics | $76,382 |
| Cognitive Science | $72,125 |
| Chemistry | $71,348 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $69,849 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $69,027 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $66,333 |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | $66,244 |
| Political Science and Government | $65,890 |
| Biology, General | $65,036 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $64,499 |
| History | $60,519 |
| Psychology, General | $59,948 |
| Mathematics | $59,214 |
| Graphic Communications | $58,163 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | $56,620 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $55,798 |
| Sociology | $55,338 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $55,240 |
| Behavioral Sciences | $54,606 |
| Anthropology | $52,315 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $51,519 |
| Philosophy | $51,398 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | $49,821 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $49,763 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $45,815 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $40,156 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $30,524 |
Median earnings for these 34 University of California-Santa Cruz programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $68,396 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 23 additional University of California-Santa Cruz programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for University of California-Santa Cruz?
University of California-Santa Cruz doesn't look at test scores; its 65.8% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is University of California-Santa Cruz's acceptance rate?
62.5% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 43,054 admitted from 68,845 applicants.
How much does University of California-Santa Cruz cost?
In-state tuition is $16,005; out-of-state students pay $50,205. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do University of California-Santa Cruz graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $68,396 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in California
- University of California-Riverside — 76.4% admitted
- California State Polytechnic University-Pomona — 75.2% admitted
- California Lutheran University — 75.7% admitted
- California Baptist University — 84.9% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.