UCSC acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
University of California-Santa Cruz · Public · Santa Cruz, CA · 17,812 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
UCSC admitted 62.5% of applicants for fall 2023, up from 59.9% in 2013. California residents pay $16,585 in tuition and fees for 2025-26; out-of-state students pay $54,187.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 59.9% | 33,137 | 19,851 |
| 2014 | 55.7% | 40,727 | 22,695 |
| 2015 | 50.3% | 45,532 | 22,897 |
| 2016 | 57.9% | 49,181 | 28,452 |
| 2017 | 50.9% | 52,969 | 26,984 |
| 2018 | 47.4% | 56,586 | 26,803 |
| 2019 | 51.3% | 55,796 | 28,629 |
| 2020 | 64.7% | 54,988 | 35,591 |
| 2021 | 58.6% | 61,695 | 36,177 |
| 2022 | 46.9% | 65,912 | 30,926 |
| 2023 | 62.5% | 68,845 | 43,054 |
Applications went from 33,137 in fall 2013 to 68,845 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
Show as table
| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $9,973 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $10,713 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $13,446 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,220 |
| Over $110,000 | $35,350 |
| Tuition and fees, in-state (2025-26) | $16,585 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state (2025-26) | $54,187 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $43,867 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $18,549 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid paying the in-state rate, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Similar public colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| UC Riverside CA | 63.3% | $16,103 in-state |
| Cal Poly Pomona CA | 73.7% | $8,147 in-state |
| CSULB CA | 47.1% | $8,338 in-state |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
UC Santa Cruz received 68,845 applications for fall 2023 and admitted 62.5% of them.1 The rate ended only 2.6 percentage points above its 2013 level of 59.9%, but the years in between moved a lot.1 It was 47.4% in 2018, 64.7% in 2020 and 46.9% in 2022, and it declined in 6 of the 10 yearly comparisons.1 Applications grew 108%. Admitted students grew faster, by 117%, from 19,851 in 2013 to 43,054 in 2023.1
The campus is test-blind for fall 2023 and reports no SAT or ACT range.1
Resident tuition and fees come to $16,585 for 2025-26 and nonresident to $54,187, and the resident price is above the $8,846 median of 33 public bachelor's colleges in California.2 Grants lower the 2024-25 average net price to $9,973 for families earning $0 to $30,000 and $13,446 for $48,001 to $75,000, while those over $110,000 pay $35,350.2
74% of 2019 entrants graduated within 6 years, compared with a 60% median across 123 California colleges.2 Of the fall 2023 entrants, 88% returned, and 34% of undergraduates were Pell recipients.2 Median earnings reach $73,362 after 10 years, while the median federal loan debt is $15,000.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 68,845 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 43,054 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 4,381 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 17,812 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-blind | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $16,585 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $54,187 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_OUT, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $43,867 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $18,549 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $9,973 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $10,713 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $13,446 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,220 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $35,350 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 74% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 88% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 34% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $73,362 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $15,000 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median in-state tuition and fees, public colleges, California (N = 33) | $8,846 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, public bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, California (N = 123) | 60% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with UCSC, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page