Covering Innovation & Inequality in Education
This year at University of California-Santa Cruz, we project that on average students will pay $17,829, while the advertised price of attendance is $41,763. That’s a difference of $23,935.
| Year | Net in-state price at University of California-Santa Cruz | In-state sticker price at University of California-Santa Cruz | Out-of-state sticker price at University of California-Santa Cruz |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25-26 | $17,829 | $41,763 | $74,226 |
| 24-25 | $17,515 | $41,028 | $72,637 |
| 23-24 | $17,206 | $40,306 | $71,083 |
| 22-23 | $16,526 | $38,712 | $68,784 |
| 21-22 | $17,975 | $37,858 | $67,612 |
| 20-21 | $19,615 | $39,137 | $68,891 |
| 19-20 | $17,842 | $37,297 | $67,051 |
| 18-19 | $17,889 | $36,217 | $65,209 |
| 17-18 | $17,266 | $36,040 | $64,054 |
| 16-17 | $16,799 | $35,408 | $62,090 |
| 15-16 | $16,261 | $34,764 | $59,472 |
| 14-15 | $17,257 | $34,226 | $57,104 |
| 13-14 | $14,759 | $33,153 | $56,031 |
How much a student actually pays usually depends, at least in part, on their family's household income. At University of California-Santa Cruz this year, we project students with incomes over $110K will pay around $35,250, while students with incomes below $30K will pay around $10,219. That's a difference of $25,031.
| Income bracket | Projected net price at University of California-Santa Cruz |
|---|---|
| <$30K | $10,219 |
| $30K-$48K | $10,911 |
| $48K-$75K | $14,026 |
| $75K-$110K | $20,267 |
| >$110K | $35,250 |
A school’s graduation rate can indicate how likely a student is to complete their degree. At University of California-Santa Cruz, over the last five years 76% of students earned their bachelor’s degree within six years of enrolling.
Students from different demographic backgrounds often graduate at different rates, so it can be helpful to look beyond the overall graduation rate. This chart shows how students of different races and ethnicities fare earning their degrees at University of California-Santa Cruz.
| Demographic category | Graduation rate at University of California-Santa Cruz | National average |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 69% | 31% |
| Asian | 81% | 45% |
| Black | 70% | 34% |
| Hispanic | 73% | 41% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 63% | 28% |
| White | 76% | 50% |
| Multiple races | 75% | 37% |
| Unknown race | 80% | 37% |
Student retention, or how often students return to continue their degree after completing their first year, is another helpful indicator. Over the last five years, at University of California-Santa Cruz, about 88% of full-time students returned the following fall to continue their degree.
The size and demographic makeup of a school’s student body can have a large impact on a student’s experience. University of California-Santa Cruz has 21,109 students, which puts it in the {SIZE_PERCENTILE} percentile of public, 4-year schools.
About 51% of students are male.
And about 32% of students are white.