UC Santa Cruz vs University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC)

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant coastal town of Santa Cruz or the bustling metropolis of Baltimore. University of California-Santa Cruz (UCSC) and University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) offer distinct experiences, each with its own charm and academic strengths. While UCSC boasts a lower acceptance rate and a higher graduation rate, UMBC offers a more diverse student body and a wider range of undergraduate programs. Dive into our comprehensive comparison table to explore the nuances of these two esteemed institutions, considering factors such as acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes. Discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, setting the stage for a transformative educational journey.

	University of California-Santa Cruz	University of Maryland-Baltimore County
Overview
Location	Santa Cruz, California	Baltimore, Maryland
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Quarter	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	89.0%	87.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	58.6%	81.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $120	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	1220 - 1410
ACT range	N/A	25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score		24.0%
Students submitting ACT score		5.0%
Total number of applicants	61,695	11,093
Total number of admissions given out	36,177	9,007
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,187	2,052
Yield rate	11.6%	22.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $36,107 Out of state: $65,861	In state: $32,716 Out of state: $48,906
Average net price	$19,615	$6,912
Tuition	In state: $11,442 Out of state: $41,196	In state: $8,878 Out of state: $25,068
Room & board	$17,429	Room/dormitory: $7,310 Meal plan: $4,940
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	57.0% Average amount $19,199	74.0% Average amount $8,758
Students receiving federal student loan	20.0% Average amount $4,717	24.0% Average amount $4,732
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $3,115	2.0% Average amount $14,975

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	17,864 Men 52.2% Women 47.8%	10,835 Men 54.4% Women 45.6%
Graduate students	1,977 Men 53.4% Women 46.6%	2,803 Men 51.6% Women 48.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	5.7%	5.0%
International students	8.0%	10.5%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	9,300	3,644
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Washington Colorado Oregon Texas	Maryland New Jersey Pennsylvania New York Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Physical Science Engineering Biological and Biomedical Sciences Computer and Information Science	Computer and Information Science Multidisciplinary Studies Engineering Education Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	24:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	78.1%	71.0%
Dropout rate	15.6%	14.0%
Transferred out	5.1%	12.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $75,207 Year 2: $79,150 Year 3: $93,848 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,040 Year 2: $63,530 Year 3: $85,557 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,378 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $82,012 Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,725 Year 2: $60,185 Year 3: $70,114 Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,515 Year 2: $48,823 Year 3: $68,276 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,252 Year 2: $31,941 Year 3: $65,929 Economics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $62,051 Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,826 Year 2: $51,607 Year 3: $61,441 Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,511 Year 2: $54,894 Year 3: $57,162 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,243 Year 2: $36,938 Year 3: $54,748	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $95,196 Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $81,374 Year 2: $75,383 Year 3: $88,572 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $73,765 Year 2: $72,134 Year 3: $86,874 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $75,661 Year 2: $73,112 Year 3: $85,246 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,747 Year 2: $70,009 Year 3: $82,906 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,329 Year 2: $63,600 Year 3: $75,222 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,810 Year 2: $62,111 Year 3: $72,223 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,037 Year 2: $60,240 Year 3: $71,621 Curriculum and Instruction (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $63,109 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $62,490 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,390 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $59,425

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