Top Public · Santa Cruz, CA
University of California-Santa Cruz
Calculate your UC Santa Cruz oddsQuick Facts
| Acceptance rate | — |
| Type | Public · Top Public |
| Setting | Campus setting |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Last verified May 2026.
Getting In
University of California-Santa Cruz is among the most selective institutions in the country. The application is read holistically. Test scores and GPA establish baseline academic credibility but rarely drive the final decision. The rest of the application (activities, recommendations, and especially essays) reveals who you are and what you would add to the community.
Personalized estimate
What are your actual odds at UC Santa Cruz?
Enter your SAT/ACT, GPA, activities, and target schools. Get a probability calibrated to real admit data, not a headline acceptance rate.
Run the calculatorBeyond the Numbers
UC Santa Cruz is best known for the residential college system, narrative evaluations alongside grades, and a redwood-forest campus above Monterey Bay. Admissions readers are looking for applicants whose specific interests and ways of working would actually thrive in that environment. Not generic “passion.” Concrete curiosity that already shows up in what you do.
UC Santa Cruz essay tools
Score, brainstorm, or revise UC Santa Cruz essays with tools tuned to UC Santa Cruz's prompts.
UC Santa Cruz vs. Peer Schools
Side-by-side comparison with similar Top Public schools applicants typically consider.
| School | Accept | SAT mid-50 | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Santa Cruz This page | — | — | — |
| UC Berkeley | 11.0% | — | $13,481 |
| UCLA | 9.0% | — | $12,548 |
| UC San Diego | 26.7% | — | $12,470 |
| Michigan | 15.6% | 1360–1530 | $13,138 |
| UNC | 15.3% | 1390–1530 | $11,655 |
Sources
All numerical data on this page is sourced from official, primary sources. Admissions stats reflect the most recent publicly published cycle. Verify current figures with UC Santa Cruz's admissions office before applying.
- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — federally maintained dataset on admissions, cost, demographics, and post-graduation outcomes (IPEDS-derived).
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) — the underlying federal data collection that all U.S. accredited institutions report into annually.
- UC Santa Cruz Common Data Set — the standardized annual data document published by the school.
Last verified May 2026. Stats reflect UC Santa Cruz's most recent publicly published admit cycle.