UC Santa Cruz 2024 Tuition Fees & Total Cost of Attendance

In-State Tuition & Fees

$14,070

Cost of attendance at University of California-Santa Cruz in 2022 for students from California.

See how the college's in-state sticker price compares to 4 year , public colleges in the state as well as nationally.

California's average	$6,749
National average	$8,573

Out-of-State Tuition & Fees

$43,824

Cost of attendance at University of California-Santa Cruz in 2022 for the out-of-state and international students

See how the college's out-of-state sticker price compares to 4 year , public colleges in the state as well as nationally.

California's average	$20,840
National average	$18,862

Average Net Price

The net price represents the amount of money students pay after receiving financial aid. In 2022, the average net price for first-year, full-time students at University of California-Santa Cruz was $19,615. This amount varies among students due to the different levels of financial aid offered based on their family's financial status.

Financial aid includes federal, state, or local government grants and institutional grants and scholarships

Visit the financial aid page for more in-depth stats and analysis of financial aids offered at UC Santa Cruz

UC Santa Cruz net price calculator

$19,615

Below is the average net price of 4 year, public colleges in California and nationwide.

California's average	$10,382
National average	$12,582

Below is the net price of UC Santa Cruz for the past 10 years categorized by different levels of family income brackets.
Year	Average	Price Change	Less than $30k	$30k to $48k	$48k to $75k	$75k to $110k	over $110k
2022	$19,615	$1,277 (7%)	$13,340	$14,379	$17,375	$23,778	$33,865
2021	$18,338	$449 (3%)	$11,677	$12,688	$16,206	$23,019	$32,340
2020	$17,889	$623 (4%)	$10,872	$11,793	$15,253	$22,739	$32,720
2019	$17,266	$474 (3%)	$10,601	$11,927	$15,559	$22,969	$32,852
2018	$16,792	$531 (3%)	$10,567	$11,966	$15,212	$23,701	$32,447
2017	$16,261	$996 (6%)	$10,290	$11,319	$15,083	$23,467	$32,215
2016	$17,257	$2,731 (19%)	$11,523	$12,618	$16,164	$24,125	$31,789
2015	$14,526	$778 (6%)	$10,840	$12,019	$15,290	$23,216	$30,854
2014	$13,748	--	$9,989	$11,280	$14,868	$22,432	$30,957

Cost of Attendance Breakdown and Change History

The table below presents the breakdown of University of California-Santa Cruz's in-state sticker price (cost of attendance) into different categories, along with their trends over the past ten years:
Year	Sticker Price (COA)	Cost Change	Tuition & Fees	Room & Board	Books & Supplies
2022	$36,107	$865 (2%)	$14,070	$20,857	$1,180
2021	$35,242	$1,508 (4%)	$14,025	$20,055	$1,162
2020	$33,734	$826 (3%)	$13,991	$18,658	$1,085
2019	$32,908	$350 (1%)	$13,960	$17,859	$1,089
2018	$32,558	$1,281 (4%)	$14,020	$17,386	$1,152
2017	$31,277	$798 (3%)	$13,539	$16,268	$1,470
2016	$30,479	$422 (1%)	$13,461	$15,570	$1,448
2015	$30,057	$166	$13,397	$15,222	$1,438
2014	$29,891	$428 (1%)	$13,397	$15,074	$1,420
2013	$29,463	--	$13,416	$14,641	$1,406

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions that may help you in your college cost research.

What kind of housing and meal plans are available at UC Santa Cruz? How much does it cost?: The college provides a combined housing and meal plan at $17,429 per school year. One academic year is typically nine months, so the cost of on-campus housing and meals at UC Santa Cruz is $1,937 per month.
What is the average cost of textbooks and course materials per annum?: UC Santa Cruz estimates that a full-time first-year student would need approximately $1,180.
Are there any additional expenses, such as transportation or personal expenses, that I should consider?: Depending on living arrangement, UC Santa Cruz estimates that students would need the following amount for personal and miscellaneous expenses. This category covers additional costs that students may incur throughout the academic year, such as transportation, personal supplies, and leisure activities.

If living on-campus: $5,179

If living off-campus, with family: $13,899

If living off-campus, not with family: $5,722
How much is UC Santa Cruz application fees?: The application fee for undergraduate students is $70 and $120 for graduates.
Are there any payment plans or options for installment payments?: UC Santa Cruz offers the following payment plans: Prepaid tuition plan, Guaranteed tuition plan, Other alternative tuition plan

Housing and Meal

**UC Santa Cruz requires students to enroll in both the housing and meal plan.** Here is a historical data of the housing and meal plan offered at University of California-Santa Cruz for the past 7 years.
Year	Meal price	Housing price	Combined price	Dorm capacity
2022	N/A	N/A	$17,429	9,300
2021	N/A	N/A	$18,866	9,291
2020	N/A	N/A	$16,951	9,379
2019	N/A	N/A	$16,448	9,261
2018	N/A	N/A	$16,055	9,338
2017	N/A	N/A	$15,217	9,377
2016	N/A	N/A	$14,952	9,032

Tuition Plans

Tuition plans offered by University of California-Santa Cruz during 2022 academic year.

Prepaid tuition plan

Not Offered
Guaranteed tuition plan

Not Offered
Tuition payment plan

Offered
Other alternative tuition plan

Not Offered

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University of California-Santa Cruz