University of California-Santa Cruz
About
The University of California, Santa Cruz is a public land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California system. Located in Monterey Bay, on the edge of the coastal community of Santa Cruz, the main campus lies on 2,001 acres (810 ha) of rolling, forested hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean. As of Fall 2024, its ten residential colleges enroll some 17,940 undergraduate and 1,998 graduate students. Satellite facilities in other Santa Cruz locations include the Coastal Science Campus and the Westside Research Park and the Silicon Valley Center in Santa Clara, along with administrative control of the Lick Observatory near San Jose in the Diablo Range and the Keck Observatory near the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
Admissions funnel
How selective is this institution, and how many admitted students choose to enroll?
Outcomes & equity
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
What families actually pay
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Academic programs
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Faculty
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
UCC vs IPEDS peer group
The peer institutions UCC selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectUniversity of California-Santa Cruz | 75% | 65.8% | 19,938 | $16,607 | R1 Research |
Binghamton University | 82% | 38.6% | 18,816 | $21,364 | R1 Research |
Colorado School of Mines | 82% | 60.7% | 8,044 | $29,240 | R1 Research |
CUNY Graduate School and University Center | — | 68.5% | 9,536 | — | R1 Research |
Kansas State University | 71% | 81.7% | 20,295 | $17,883 | R1 Research |
Kent State University at Kent | 64% | 86.3% | 26,374 | $19,614 | R1 Research |
Mississippi State University | 67% | 77.6% | 23,150 | $15,501 | R1 Research |
Montana State University | 57% | 82.1% | 17,135 | $20,593 | R1 Research |
New Jersey Institute of Technology | 73% | 65.1% | 13,247 | $16,496 | R1 Research |
North Dakota State University-Main Campus | 64% | 95.0% | 11,952 | $16,334 | R1 Research |
Ohio University-Main Campus | 65% | 85.0% | 26,323 | $20,413 | R1 Research |
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus | 68% | 75.0% | 27,278 | $16,378 | R1 Research |
Old Dominion University | 46% | 90.4% | 23,743 | $14,170 | R1 Research |
The University of Montana | 49% | 95.9% | 10,811 | $17,118 | R1 Research |
The University of Texas at El Paso | 50% | 99.9% | 25,039 | $10,726 | R1 Research |
University at Albany | 61% | 69.1% | 17,560 | $18,486 | R1 Research |
University of Alabama at Birmingham | 64% | 88.2% | 20,905 | $17,727 | R1 Research |
University of Alabama in Huntsville | 64% | 68.6% | 8,564 | $19,880 | R1 Research |
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 46% | 74.7% | 23,124 | $19,133 | R1 Research |
University of Hawaii at Manoa | 64% | 86.6% | 20,028 | $13,181 | R1 Research |
University of Kansas | 69% | 93.5% | 29,792 | $17,365 | R1 Research |
University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 53% | 87.0% | 15,665 | $14,118 | R1 Research |
University of Louisville | 61% | 79.4% | 23,065 | $17,634 | R1 Research |
University of Maine | 55% | 96.6% | 12,029 | $18,045 | R1 Research |
University of Maryland-Baltimore County | 69% | 72.4% | 13,906 | $18,328 | R1 Research |
University of Memphis | 51% | 72.0% | 20,276 | $13,253 | R1 Research |
University of Mississippi | 72% | 96.6% | 26,449 | $13,164 | R1 Research |
University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 67% | 87.5% | 24,393 | $17,424 | R1 Research |
University of Nevada-Reno | 61% | 73.7% | 23,024 | $15,402 | R1 Research |
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | 76% | 88.2% | 13,554 | $23,261 | R1 Research |
University of New Mexico-Main Campus | 54% | 95.2% | 23,124 | $17,478 | R1 Research |
University of Oregon | 72% | 88.3% | 24,404 | $21,782 | R1 Research |
University of Southern Mississippi | 49% | 99.1% | 13,170 | $14,224 | R1 Research |
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 53% | 90.7% | 22,450 | $16,177 | R1 Research |
Utah State University | 57% | 92.5% | 28,904 | $12,869 | R1 Research |
Wayne State University | 58% | 81.2% | 23,803 | $14,773 | R1 Research |
| Peer group median | 64% | 85.7% | 20,600 | $17,365 |
Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
IRAPS provides accurate, timely, and contextualized information that is responsive to the needs of the campus community. Our work promotes university effectiveness, supports strategic planning, and informs decision making across the campus.
Visit IR office page- Cinnamon DanubeSenior Institutional Research Analyst
- Rory HigginsSenior Institutional Research Analyst
- Mallory JacksonInstitutional Research Analyst
- Yichen LeeSenior Institutional Research Analyst
- Shirley TruongInterim Director
- Randy UangSenior Survey Research Analyst
Common Data Set (7)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Documents & reports (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardiraps.ucsc.edu
- DashboardDashboardiraps.ucsc.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planLeading the Change: The UC Santa Cruz Strategic Plan2023The 'Leading the Change: The UC Santa Cruz Strategic Plan' charts a course for university growth and innovation over the next decade. Developed during the 2022–23 academic year, the plan focuses on enhancing student success and expanding research impact while fostering inclusivity. The strategic themes address undergraduate education, graduate education, research distinction, campus community well-being, and sustainability.strategicplan.ucsc.edu
IR job openings (6)
Institutional Research and analytics roles currently posted at this institution.
Notable alumni (43)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- William Drea AdamsAcademia
- Michelle AndersonAcademia
- Yoav FreundAcademia
- Kristen R. GhodseeAcademia
- Victor Davis HansonAcademia
- Susie BrightArts and Letters
- William FinneganArts and Letters
- Laurie GarrettArts and Letters
- Steve MartiniArts and Letters
- David TalbotArts and Letters
- Jonah PerettiBusiness
- Susan WojcickiBusiness
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