UCSC: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Officially University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, California · Public · Moderately selective · CDS 2025-2026
Admission at a glance
Common Data Set 2025-2026
- Test-blind
- 66,374
- Applicants
- 48,274
- Admitted73%
- 4,596
- Enrolled
- 10%
- Yield rate
Selectivity
Moderately selective73% admittedRanked #109 (tie) in National Universities; Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs #102 (tie), Computer Science #65 (tie), Economics #72 (tie)U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2027
Admission figures come from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set published by University of California-Santa Cruz (see the source), read on 2026-09-12.
Is UCSC a reach, target or safety for your student?
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UCSC is a public university in Santa Cruz, California that admits about 73% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $17,890 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Computer Science, Psychology, General and Business/Managerial Economics, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 74% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 5.6 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
UCSC is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, UCSC admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 73%. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $17,890 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.
What parents should know about UCSC right now
UC Santa Cruz, founded in 1965, enrolls roughly 17,940 undergraduates and 1,998 graduate students as of fall 2024 and is the most accessible of the original UC research campuses, with a fall 2025 first-year acceptance rate of 72.7 percent and a transfer acceptance rate of 70.4 percent. Admitted first-year students in fall 2024 had an average high school GPA of 3.92 (middle 50 percent: 3.87 to 4.22). UCSC operates a distinctive ten-college residential system modeled on Oxford and Cambridge: students choose a college upon admission, take a mandatory themed core course, and remain affiliated with that college for advising, dining, and housing throughout their undergraduate years, which can be reassuring for parents worried about a student getting lost in a large research university. Academically, the campus is strong in computer science, physics, earth sciences, and space science (ranked 13th globally), and it administers both Lick Observatory and the Keck Observatory and hosts the UCSC Genome Browser. The campus has confronted real housing pressure, with a 2022 city lawsuit citing concerns that enrollment growth has outpaced the university's promise to double on-campus housing capacity, so families should pay close attention to housing application deadlines. New first-year students are eligible for a one-year housing guarantee if they indicate housing preferences when accepting admission and meet posted application deadlines, with college and housing assignment instructions sent in mid-May.
What GPA does my child need for UCSC?
72% of enrolled students at UCSC had a high school GPA of 3.75 or above, and the average was 3.87, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
Compare UCSC with the other schools on your list
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What does UCSC weight in admissions?
UCSC reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). What the weights mean
Very Important
4- Rigor of secondary school record
- Academic GPA
- Application essay
- State residency
Important
5- Extracurricular activities
- Talent/ability
- Character/personal qualities
- First generation status
- Geographical residence
Considered
2- Volunteer work
- Work experience
Not Considered
7- Class rank
- Standardized test scores
- Recommendations
- Interview
- Alumni/ae relation
- Religious affiliation/commitment
- Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores UCSC typically admits
Many applicants to schools in this tier submit test scores, though the policy varies by year, so check the latest test-optional status before deciding.
- • Test-blind: UCSC does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if submitted.
- • Like all UC campuses, UCSC does not use SAT/ACT in admission review. Scores can still satisfy the a-g area b and Entry Level Writing requirements.
- • Checked for Fall 2027 applicants on UCSC's admissions site. Policies change; confirm before you apply.
How much does UCSC actually cost?
Published tuition is $16,005 for in-state students and $50,205 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $19,948 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $17,890 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 32% of students receive Pell Grants.
| In-state tuition | — |
| Room and board | — |
| Average net price (after aid) | $17,890 |
| Financial aid forms | FAFSA only (no CSS Profile)College Board 2026-27 list |
| Application fee | $80 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for UCSC
| Regular deadline | December 1 |
| Notification date | March 31 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
Will my child graduate from UCSC?
These predict outcomes at UCSC better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates
Most popular majors at UCSC
The most popular undergraduate programs at UCSC, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Computer Science, Psychology, General and Business/Managerial Economics. Across all programs, UCSC confers roughly 2,333 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Computer Science program report a median income of about $120,928 five years after entering college. What these figures mean
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 607 | $120,928 |
| Psychology, General | 431 | $59,093 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | 287 | $89,932 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 237 | $79,429 |
| Sociology | 223 | $56,389 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 192 | $41,829 |
| Biology, General | 184 | $70,452 |
| Political Science and Government | 172 | $63,776 |
Is UCSC safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), UCSC disclosed 100 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 5.6 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 6 violent offenses and 65 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts
What is campus life like at UCSC?
About 50% of undergraduates at UCSC live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 3% of men join a fraternity and 6% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in California parents ask about
- University of California-Riverside76% acceptance
- University of California-Merced91% acceptance
- California Institute of Technology3% acceptance
- San Diego State University36% acceptance
- San Jose State University85% acceptance
- San Francisco State University96% acceptance
- California State University-Long Beach46% acceptance
- California State University-Fullerton91% acceptance
Next steps for UCSC
Common questions parents ask about UCSC
What GPA do I need for UCSC?
72% of enrolled students at UCSC had a high school GPA of 3.75 or above, and the average was 3.87, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
What SAT or ACT score does UCSC typically admit?
UCSC is test-blind: SAT and ACT scores are not considered in admission decisions, even if you submit them. There is no score range because scores are not read.
How much does UCSC actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at UCSC after grants and scholarships is $17,890 per year, against a published in-state tuition of $16,005 and $50,205 out of state. Budget against the net figure.
Is UCSC realistic for my child?
UCSC admits 73% of applicants, so the transcript and course rigour carry the decision, with no published score band to place against. Then check the $17,890 average net price against what your family can carry.
What is the acceptance rate at UCSC?
UCSC accepts about 73% of applicants out of roughly 66,374 who apply each year. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is UCSC test-optional?
UCSC is test-blind for Fall 2027 applicants: it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if you submit them.
What is the graduation rate at UCSC?
About 74% of students at UCSC graduate within six years. 90% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does UCSC look for in applicants?
UCSC rates course rigor, GPA, the application essay and state residency as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is UCSC a public or private school, and where is it located?
UCSC is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California.
What are the most popular majors at UCSC?
The largest undergraduate majors at UCSC by annual graduates are Computer Science, Psychology, General and Business/Managerial Economics. The school awards about 2,333 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is UCSC safe? What is its campus crime rate?
UCSC reported 100 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 5.6 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at UCSC?
At UCSC, 50% of undergraduates live on campus, 3% of men are in fraternities, 6% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Sources: the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by University of California-Santa Cruz, the College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act disclosures. What each source covers