University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA · Public
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
University of California, Santa Cruz admitted 65.6% of applicants university-wide (47,012 of 71,696).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 65.6% | 47,012 | 71,696 |
| In-state | 62.1% | 35,736 | 57,502 |
| Out-of-state | 81.4% | 6,335 | 7,782 |
| International applicants | 77.1% | 4,941 | 6,412 |
| Men | 61.9% | 18,580 | 30,026 |
| Women | 68.2% | 25,996 | 38,127 |
Of 47,012 admitted students, 4,381 enrolled (9.3% yield).
University of California, Santa Cruz Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1240–1480
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 27–33
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.75–4.00
Testing policy: Test-blind (scores not considered)
University of California, Santa Cruz Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $75,945/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $50,205 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $25,740 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $75,945/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $8,717 |
| $30k–48k | $10,613 |
| $48k–75k | $14,418 |
| $75k–110k | $18,986 |
| Over $110k | $33,323 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
University of California, Santa Cruz Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024
Application requirements
US applicants
- University of California Application
- Official High School Transcripts
- Proof of English Proficiency
- Application fee
International applicants
- University of California Application
- Official High School Transcripts
- Proof of English Proficiency
- Application fee
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
University of California, Santa Cruz · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the UC Application member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $68,396
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 75.1%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 88%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $16,666
- At graduation
University of California, Santa Cruz · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News National: #88
- WSJ: #211
- Forbes: #63
- QS: #458
Deadlines
- 2026-11-30Regular Decision — Standard deadline
University of California, Santa Cruz Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Computer & information sciences (17%), Interdisciplinary studies (16%), Biological & life sciences (14%).
Student–faculty ratio: 22:1 · 27% of class sections have under 20 students.
University of California, Santa Cruz Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.